SCOTLAND

Consultants

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department spent on external consultants, including management consultants, in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office has incurred no costs on external consultants, including management consultants, in (a) 2010-11 or (b) 2011-12.

Risk Assessment

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what strategic or transitional risk registers in each area of policy are held by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

David Mundell: Risk management is embedded in all aspects of the Office's policy work in accordance with good practice and HM Treasury guidance.

Sick Leave

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many days of sick leave were taken by staff in his Department in each of the last three years.

David Mundell: All Scotland Office staff are on secondment from other Government bodies, principally the Scottish Government or the Ministry of Justice, which have their own absence management policies and recording procedures that apply to those of their staff working in this Office. Since 2010, the Scotland Office has local records that confirm staff incurred 142.5 days absence in 2010, and 112.5 days in 2011. Figures for 2012 will be available at the beginning of 2013.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many trade union representatives in (a) his Department and (b) its non-departmental public body had (i) part-time and (ii) full-time paid facility time arrangements in 2011-12.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office and its sole non-departmental public body, the Boundary Commission for Scotland, did not have any staff with facility time arrangements for trade union duties in 2011-12.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many days were utilised for paid facility time by each trade union representative in (a) his Department and (b) its non-departmental public body in 2011-12; and at what cost to the public purse.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office and its sole non-departmental public body, the Boundary Commission for Scotland, did not have any staff with facility time arrangements for trade union duties in 2011-12.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many days were utilised for paid facility time by each trade union representative in (a) his Department and (b) its non-departmental public body for trade union (i) duties and (ii) activities in 2011-12.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office and its sole non-departmental public body, the Boundary Commission for Scotland, did not have any staff with facility time arrangements for trade union duties and activities in 2011-12.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will place in the Library copies of the facility time agreements between trade unions and (a) his Department and (b) its non-departmental public body.

David Mundell: There are no facility time agreements between trade unions and (a) the Scotland Office and (b) the Scotland Office's sole non-departmental public body, the Boundary Commission for Scotland.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many trade union representatives in (a) his Department and (b) its non-departmental public body have faced disciplinary action for abusing paid facility time or public resources in each of the last five years.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office and its sole non-departmental public body, the Boundary Commission for Scotland, did not have any trade union representatives among their staff in each of the last five years.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many meetings have taken place between his (a) Department and (b) its non-departmental public body and trade union representatives utilising paid facility time in each of the last five years to discuss (i) collective bargaining, (ii) redundancies, (iii) negotiations relating to employment, pay and conditions and (iv) other trade union and industrial relations duties; and what the dates and times were of each meeting.

David Mundell: No meetings have taken place in each of the last five years between (a) the Scotland Office and (b) the Office's sole non-departmental public body, the Boundary Commission for Scotland, and trade union representatives to discuss (i) collective bargaining, (ii) redundancies, (iii) negotiations relating to employment, pay and conditions and (iv) other trade union and industrial relations duties.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions trade union representatives from (a) his Department and (b) its non-departmental body have utilised paid facility time to represent an employee at a meeting or other industrial relations matter in each of the last five years.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office and its sole non-departmental public body, the Boundary Commission for Scotland, did not have any staff with facility time arrangements for trade union duties in each of the last five years.

WALES

Railways

Albert Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales with reference to the oral answer of 25 April 2012, Official Report, column 940, on rail transport, whether her Department has conducted an impact assessment of the potential effects of High Speed 2 on the Welsh economy; what issues her Department has raised with the Department for Transport regarding line speeds west of Crewe and across north Wales, including electrification; and if she will make a statement.

David Jones: I have regular discussions with a range of interested parties, including Ministers in the Department for Transport, on issues that affect Wales. The appraisal of the economic case for High Speed 2 published as part of the Government's decisions in January set out the impacts of the scheme on the whole of Great Britain.
	The High Level Output Specification (HLOS), which will be published in the summer, will set out the strategic priorities for rail and will be accompanied by a statement of funding available to pay for this. My office will continue to work to ensure all parts of Wales benefit from improvements in rail infrastructure.

Sick Leave

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many days of sick leave were taken by staff in her Department in each of the last three years.

David Jones: The numbers of days sick leave taken in the last three years by staff are shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Financial year Total number of days sick leave 
			 2009-10 292.5 
			 2010-11 218 
			 2011-12 423 
		
	
	It should be noted that a small number of instances of long-term sickness largely account for the overall number of sick leave absences, and well over half of those absences in 2011-12 were due to a single case.

WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

Logos

Stuart Andrew: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how much the Equality and Human Rights Commission spent on items branded with its logo in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12.

Lynne Featherstone: The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is an arm's-length body; the following is based on information it has provided:
	
		
			 Items branded with the EHRC's logo (1) 
			  £ 
			 2009-10 24,264 
			 2010-11 30,208 
			 2011-12 4,841 
			 (1) This excludes items such as publications and leaflets bearing the EHRC's logo.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Local Government Pensions

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of the eligible workforce is enrolled in the Local Authority Pension Scheme in (a) Ashfield constituency, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) the east midlands.

Bob Neill: The information requested is not available centrally. The relevant data may be sourced by contacting each employer in the Local Government Pension Scheme in the areas concerned.

Local Government: Equality

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if his Department will publish guidance for local authorities on how best to foster race equality.

Andrew Stunell: The public sector Equality Duty requires public bodies to consider all individuals when carrying out their day to day work—in shaping policy, in delivering services and in relation to their own employees. The Equality Duty covers a number of protected characteristics, including race (this includes ethnic or national origins, colour or nationality). It requires public bodies to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations between different people when carrying out their activities. The Government Equalities Office and the Equality and Human Rights Commission have published several guides to help public bodies understand the Equality Duty. These can be seen at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/equalities/equality-act/equality-duty/

Private Sector

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many jobs formerly in his Department and its agencies and non-departmental bodies were transferred to the private sector in 2011-12.

Bob Neill: holding answer 14 May 2012
	In May 2011 two posts were transferred to the private sector to manage Firebuy's framework contracts following that body's closure.

Sick Leave

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many days of sick leave were taken by staff in his Department in each of the last three years.

Bob Neill: The following numbers of total working days lost due to sickness absence were reported to Cabinet Office for the last three calendar years for the Department for Communities and Local Government:
	
		
			  Number 
			 2009 11,096 
			 2010 14,505 
			 2011 13,928 
		
	
	Average sickness absence rates in the Department are below the civil service average.
	The Department is committed to the well-being of its staff and offers a number of services to assist in minimising staff absences:
	A self-test stress indicator tool for line managers, to help them identify the skills they need to tackle workplace stress in their team, has been developed by the Health and Safety Executive, in association with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, and Investors in People.
	Intranet information pages to inform staff on ways in which they can actively seek to maximise their physical and mental health.
	Access to a 24-hour Employee Assistance helpline which offers advice and support for all staff to deal with sick absence.

Tenants: Antisocial Behaviour

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he has taken to help residents living next to an antisocial tenant of a private landlord.

Andrew Stunell: Local authorities have extensive powers under the Housing Act 2004 to take action against private landlords who fail in their responsibilities. These powers include the discretion to introduce selective licensing schemes in areas suffering from low housing demand and/or significant incidence of antisocial behaviour without having to first seek departmental approval. I believe that it is right for these local decisions to be made by those who are directly accountable to local communities.
	The Act also provides local authorities with powers to take over the management of individual privately rented properties should a landlord fail to deal with a tenant's antisocial behaviour. I would urge and encourage local authorities to make full use of their powers to target and tackle the small minority of rogue landlords.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many trade union representatives in (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-department public bodies have faced disciplinary action for abusing paid facility time or public resources in each of the last five years.

Bob Neill: No trade union representative at the Department for Communities and Local Government or its non-departmental bodies has faced disciplinary action for abusing paid facility time or public resources in the last five years.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on how many occasions trade union representatives from (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies have utilised paid facility time to represent an employee at a meeting or other industrial relations matter in each of the last five years.

Bob Neill: The Department for Communities and Local Government and its non-departmental bodies do not hold this information centrally. The staff costs involved to obtain this information would be disproportionate to the information required.

Trade Unions

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps the Government Equalities Office is taking to implement the recommendations of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Andrew Stunell: The UN Committee of the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) published a set of Concluding Observations on the UK in September 2011, which included some 32 recommendations to the United Kingdom authorities. These cover a wide range of subjects, which are the responsibility of a number of different Government Departments and, in devolved policy areas, of the devolved Administrations. It is for each of them to consider how to respond to the Committee's recommendations.
	The Department for Communities and Local Government is responsible for co-ordinating the UK's periodic reports to the Committee, in consultation with other Government Departments and the devolved Administrations. The UK's next full report is due in April 2014, and this will address recommendations made by the Committee in its 2011 report. As requested by CERD in paragraph 37 of its 2011 Concluding Observations, we will also provide information to the Committee by September 2012 on our responses to four of their recommendations. These concern the response to the August 2011 riots; police powers to “stop and search”; counter-terrorism measures; and the clearance of the unauthorised Traveller site at Dale Farm.

TRANSPORT

Traffic Orders: Ashfield

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the level of expenditure on advertising traffic orders in (a) Ashfield constituency, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) the east midlands in the latest period in which figures are available.

Norman Baker: The consultation on amending requirements placed on traffic authorities when they propose and make temporary and permanent traffic orders has now closed.
	The consultation paper made reference to a report published by the UK Network Management Board and the results of a survey carried out in 2010 amongst traffic authorities about money spent on local newspaper advertising of traffic orders. Nottinghamshire County Council responded to the survey, and reported an annual spend of £156,183 on advertising costs for traffic orders. There is no specific information available relating to the east midland region or the Ashfield constituency. However, the report considered responses received and estimated that at that time that £22.3 million was being spent annually in England on advertising traffic orders. This figure was adjusted to £20 million for consultation purposes due to changes that have already been made by the Highways Agency, which has already significantly reduced its spend in this area.

Roads

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the Highways Agency spent on downgrading lay-bys to emergency use only in (a) Suffolk, (b) the east of England and (c) England in each of the last five years; and how many were so downgraded in each year in each area.

Norman Baker: holding answer 14 May 2012
	Highways Agency lay-bys downgraded to emergency use only:
	
		
			  Suffolk only East of England (excluding Suffolk) England (excluding Suffolk and east of England) 
			  Cost (£) Number Cost (£) Number Cost (£) Number 
			 2007-08 158,543 1 0 0 0 0 
			 2008-09 0 0 0 0 n/a 1 
			 2009-10 22,000 2 33,000 3 182,000 9 
			 2010-11 20,236 2 0 0 n/a 1 
			 2011-12 0 0 0 0 0 0 
		
	
	All costs quoted are approximate, as many lay-by downgrades were undertaken as part of larger maintenance schemes.

Roads

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the Highways Agency spent on upgrading substandard lay-bys in (a) Suffolk, (b) the east of England and (c) England in each of the last five years; and how many substandard lay-bys were upgraded in each area in each year.

Norman Baker: holding answer 14 May 2012
	Highways Agency lay-bys that have been upgraded:
	
		
			  Suffolk only East of England (excluding Suffolk) England (excluding Suffolk and east of England) 
			  Cost (£) Number Cost (£) Number Cost (£) Number 
			 2007-08 0 0 0 0 766,423 4 
			 2008-09 0 0 0 0 570,079 4 
			 2009-10 0 0 158,850 7 3,734,741 12 
			 2010-11 91,330 2 227,338 2 434,651 11 
			 2011-12 0 0 0 0 0 0 
		
	
	All costs quoted are approximate, as many lay-by upgrades have been undertaken as part of larger improvement schemes.
	Not all lay-bys were classed as sub-standard by the Highway Agency. Some were enhanced as part of larger schemes.

PRIME MINISTER

Child Malnutrition: G8 Summit

Mike Hancock: To ask the Prime Minister if he will raise the issue of malnutrition among children in Africa at the forthcoming G8 summit.

David Cameron: It is unacceptable that in 2012, over 3 million children die as a result of malnutrition. At least 1 million of these will likely be in Africa.
	That is why it is so important that this year's G8 summit will focus on hunger and malnutrition.
	We are meeting our commitment to spend 0.7% of our national income on aid. It is because of this that we shall be able to improve nutrition for 20 million children under five by 2015. This year and last, British taxpayers also contributed £127 million in humanitarian aid for those affected by the famine in East Africa.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Entry Clearances

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what methodology her Department uses to calculate the charges for single entry and multiple entry visas.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency sets fees by balancing a number of factors, including the administrative cost of processing an application, the importance of attracting certain groups of migrants to the UK and the value of a successful application to the migrant.

Entry Clearances

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what comparison her Department has made between UK charges for single entry and multiple entry with (a) Schengen agreement countries, (b) the US and (c) Australia.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency regularly monitors the international competitiveness of UK fees, and factors these international comparisons into its annual fees review.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been expelled from the UK as a result of the expiration or invalidation of their student visas in each of the last 12 months.

Damian Green: The data requested are not held in a format compatible with National Statistics protocols, or produced as part of the UK Border Agency's standard reports.
	However the UK Border Agency publishes immigration statistics on a quarterly and annual basis, a copy of which can be found in the Library of the House. The latest published statistics on non-asylum removals can also be found here;
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/immigration-asylum-research/immigration-q4-2011/

Female Genital Mutilation

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to prevent female genital mutilation being carried out on British citizens.

Lynne Featherstone: The Government are absolutely committed to tackling and preventing female genital mutilation (FGM).
	Last year the Government developed and launched multi-agency guidelines for all frontline professionals which aim to raise awareness about FGM and highlight the signs that practitioners and professionals should look out for which may identify girls at risk. The guidelines set out the steps that professionals such as nurses and GPs should take to protect and safeguard those at risk, or already affected by FGM. The Home Office also distributed more than 80,000 leaflets and posters to schools, health services, charities and community groups around the country and in October 2011 launched the FGM Fund—a total of £50,000 to support frontline practitioners working with women and girls affected by FGM. We continue to work with the Department for Education, Department of Health, the Department for International Development and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, as well as with voluntary sector partners, to shape our work.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Minister for Immigration plans to reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton of 26 March 2012 with regard to Miss Taki Rokla Koffi.

Damian Green: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 11 May 2012.

Pay

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of her Department's officials located in Wales would be affected by proposals for local-facing pay.

Damian Green: The Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), announced in his Budget speech on 21 March 2012, Official Report, columns 793-808, that Departments would be expected to move towards introducing local market-facing pay reform over the next few years. The Home Office is currently considering what this means for staff around the country, including Wales, and will discuss this with staff and trade unions as part of the annual pay negotiating process.
	At 30 April 2012, the Home Office had 517 paid civil servants based in Wales.

Police: Bureaucracy

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to reduce administrative burdens on the police.

Nick Herbert: The Government has announced a package of policies that will cut police bureaucracy, saving up to 4.5 million police hours per year, the equivalent of over 2,100 officers back on the beat. This work is being taken forward by the joint Home Office and Association of Chief Police Officers Reducing Bureaucracy Programme Board.

Social Security Benefits: Asylum

Sandra Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements are in place to support asylum seekers by means of benefits payments.

Damian Green: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) does not support asylum seekers with benefits payments. Asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute are supported by the United Kingdom Border Agency under section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 until their asylum claims are decided.
	If the asylum claim is accepted the person is granted refugee status and leave to remain in the United Kingdom on conditions that give access to mainstream DWP benefits, subject to the normal eligibility rules.

UK Border Agency

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff of the UK Border Agency were working on intelligence gathering about common routes for smuggling people into the UK in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; how many are expected to be working on this area in 2012-13; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency expects all front-line staff to be involved in the collection of intelligence. There is a core of staff dedicated to intelligence processing, analysis and operations. In 2010-11 there were 819 staff involved in intelligence operations, with 778 performing those functions in 2011-12.
	The activities of those staff were focused on a range of priorities identified within the agency's intelligence requirement, including people smuggling, human trafficking and the key routes and nexus points associated with those forms of criminal behaviour.
	The staffing profile for intelligence operations is under review as the agency is restructured to deliver an enhanced approach to delivering intelligence-led operations.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Direct Mail: Fraud

John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to protect consumers from mail scams.

Norman Lamb: The National Fraud Agency (which runs Action Fraud) and the Metropolitan Police lead on a national strategy to confront mass marketing fraud holistically. They are engaging with key partners, including postal operators, to tackle mass-marketed postal scams.
	The Government strongly advise anyone who receives material through the post that they suspect may constitute a fraud to draw their concerns to the attention of the appropriate authorities.
	Scams can be easily reported to “Action Fraud” either online via the Action Fraud website:
	www.actionfraud.org.uk
	or by phoning 0300 123 2040. This service also provides help and advice over the phone via the Action Fraud contact centre.
	The Government recognise the damage that scams can do and we will do all we can to ensure that consumers know how to spot a scam and know what they should do when they spot one. Information and advice about scams can be found on the Citizens Advice website:
	www.adviceguide.org.uk
	and Directgov website:
	www.direct.gov.uk

Higher Education

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the answer of 20 March 2012, Official Report, column 685W, on higher education, how he ensures value for money for the Exchequer if outcomes from for-profit and not-for-profit institutions are not recorded.

David Willetts: The Government's higher education (HE) reforms, set out in the HE White Paper “Students at the Heart of the System”, published in June 2011, encourage institutions to focus on ensuring value for money. In the future, as the majority of funding will be channelled through students, higher education providers (whether they are for-profit or not-for-profit) will be more reliant on attracting students to maintain their income. They will need to be more responsive to students, ensure they offer good value for money, and clearly demonstrate the use made of the contribution that students make towards their higher education.
	Our reforms put students at the heart of the system as money will flow through students in response to the choices that they make, not the choices that Government make for them. It is for students to determine whether or not a course provides value for money on the basis of information that is available.
	We believe that new providers and new forms of higher education provision will help stimulate and strengthen market competition, and promote student choice and ensure value for money throughout the HE sector.

ICT

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to provide assistance for small and medium-sized companies in the IT sector; and what steps he is taking to encourage IT-related contracts and requirements to be assembled into appropriately sized small, medium and large packages of work for delivery by the most suitably sized and skilled organisations.

Mark Prisk: We want to make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business, and for the next decade to be the most entrepreneurial and dynamic in Britain's history. That is why, on 23 January 2012, the Prime Minister launched Business in You, a major year-long campaign, to inspire people to realise their business ambitions and to highlight the range of support available for start-ups and growing businesses.
	Government are supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the UK in a number of ways:
	Ensuring SMEs can access the support and advice they need to start and grow
	We have transformed the way that we enable people to access the information, guidance and advice they need to start and grow a business. We have put in place a range of services including:
	An improved www.businesslink.gov.uk website including: a new Growth and Improvement Service and ‘My New Business’, a comprehensive start-up service.
	A Business Link helpline which will support those who are unable to access the internet.
	A mentoring portal: www.mentorsme.co.uk providing an easy route to find experienced business mentors.
	Started to introduce the new Business Coaching for Growth service, providing high quality coaching support for up to 10,000 SMEs a year with high growth potential.
	A streamlined Solutions for Business support portfolio was announced in March 2011, targeted at help for business, for example on helping businesses sell overseas and dealing with technology developments.
	Ensuring businesses can access the finance the y  need
	Ensuring the flow of credit to viable SMEs is essential for supporting growth and is a core priority for this Government. We want to ensure that the financial sector can supply affordable credit that businesses need, and we would like to see more diverse sources of finance for SMEs including, where appropriate, access to equity finance. Government have:
	Launched the National Loan Guarantee Scheme: up to £20 billion of guarantees for bank funding will be available over two years allowing banks to offer lower cost lending to SMEs.
	Increased the funds available to invest through the Business Finance Partnership (BFP) to £1.2 billion. Government have invited the first round of proposals to help businesses access non-bank finance through the BFP, and will allocate £100 million of the BFP to invest through non-traditional lending channels.
	Announced the continuation of the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) scheme until 2014/15, providing, subject to demand, over £2 billion in total over the next four years.
	Continuation of the Government's Enterprise Capital Funds programme, increasing our commitment by £200 million over the next four years, providing for more than £300 million of venture capital investment to address the equity gap for early stage innovative SMEs.
	Announced that we will pilot the best way to introduce a programme of enterprise loans to help young people set up and grow their own businesses.
	Encouraging Business Angel investment through a new £50 million Business Angel Co-Investment Fund.
	Welcomed the report of the industry review of non-bank lending chaired by Tim Breedon and will take forward its recommendations over the course of this year, including: considering how to simplify access to Government support for smaller businesses; encouraging prompt payment by larger firms; and supporting industry work to remove barriers to alternative sources of finance.
	The Regional Growth Fund is a £2.4 billion fund operating across England from 2011 to 2015. It supports projects and programmes that lever private sector investment creating economic growth and sustainable employment.
	Ensuring that regulation supports business growth
	Introduced a “one-in, one-out” rule whereby no new regulations which impose costs on businesses can be brought in without regulation of an equivalent value being removed.
	Introduced a three-year moratorium on new domestic regulation affecting micro businesses and genuine start-ups.
	The Red Tape Challenge is tackling the stock of regulation via a comprehensive thematic review which aims to identify regulations that could be removed, simplified or done in a different way. By the end of December 2011 we had scrapped or simplified over 600 regulations.
	Reforming the way in which regulations are implemented, including a review of regulators to ensure enforcement arrangements are appropriate and proportionate. Government will also launch sector-based reviews of regulation to ensure it is enforced at the lowest possible cost to business.
	To reduce barriers to businesses taking on new staff Government have announced significant deregulation of employment law, including increasing the unfair dismissal qualifying period from one to two years.
	Encouraging exporting SMEs
	The Government will spend £35 million to double, from 25,000 to 50,000, the number of SMEs that UKTI supports a year by 2015. Many components of the UKTI product are aimed at SMEs:
	Passport to Export is a trade development programme offering new and inexperienced exporters help and support to build the capability to start exporting proactively and make their first visit to an export market. Launched in 2001, it has helped around 14,000 SMEs as of January 2012.
	Gateway to Global Growth offers experienced SME exporters the opportunity to increase their exporting skills and awareness of what is on offer from UKTI and private sector suppliers. The aim is to help them enter more difficult markets or expand in existing ones.
	Market Visit Support provides assistance to new to export and/or new to market SMEs visiting overseas markets, individually or in groups as part of their trade development process.
	Budget 2012 set out an ambition to more than double annual UK exports to £1 trillion by 2020 through additional measures including expanding the overseas role of UK Export Finance to enable it to develop finance packages that could help UK exporters secure opportunities identified through UK Trade and Investment's High Value Opportunities programme; helping secure temporary private sector office space overseas for new UK exporters in high growth countries where such services are difficult to obtain; and continuing to increase UK Export Finance's regional presence in the UK to support SMEs seeking trade finance.
	On 9 March 2012, the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend, the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), announced that in future, Government IT contracts will be more flexible, starting with two areas (application software and infrastructure IT). The Government are introducing set breakpoints in IT contracts so there is less money locked into large lengthy contracts. The Government will look to disaggregate future contracts and deliver flexible, cheaper solutions. This opens up opportunities for SMEs and reduces the cost to taxpayers.

National Childbirth Trust: Training

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to alter his Department's funding arrangements for National Childbirth Trust practitioner training courses.

David Willetts: The financial arrangements for higher education are changing from 2012/13 with less funding provided through block grants from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and more provided through student tuition fees, supported by a more generous system of publicly-funded student support to eligible students. These arrangements apply equally to the courses that the National Childbirth Trust offers to students in partnership with the University of Worcester and mean that previous levels of HEFCE funding cannot be maintained.

Postgraduate Education: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people resident in the London borough of Bexley enrolled on a postgraduate course in each of the last three years.

David Willetts: Information on the number of postgraduate enrolments at UK higher education institutions who were from Bexley local authority is shown in the table. Figures are provided for the academic years 2008/09 to 2010/11. Information for the 2011/12 academic year will become available from January 2013.
	
		
			 Postgraduate enrolments (1)  from Bexley local authority. UK higher education institutions. Academic years 2008/09 to 2010/11 
			 Academic year Enrolments 
			 2008/09 920 
			 2009/10 995 
			 2010/11 1,015 
			 (1) Covers students in all years of study. Note: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded up or down to the nearest five, so components may not sum to totals. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record.

Regional Growth Fund

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding intended for allocation from the Regional Growth Fund in 2011-12 will have been allocated to recipients by the end of financial year 2011-12.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 15 May 2012
	The budget for the Regional Growth Fund in 2011-12 was £475 million. The Fund allocated £465 million to recipients by the end of the financial year 2011-12.

Risk Assessment

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what strategic or transitional risk registers in each area of policy are held by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: In line with best practice, the Department's approach is to assign risks to those best placed to manage them. Our approach is to establish clear accountability and ownership of risk so as to ensure the risk is managed at the appropriate level and mechanisms are in place to escalate significant risks to senior management. Details of the Department's risk and control framework can be found in the annual report and accounts 2010-11. BIS holds a strategic risk register that provides a strategic overview of the major risks across the whole Department, and individual risk registers for key programmes and workstreams.

Sick Leave

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many of days of sick leave were taken by staff in his Department in each of the last three years.

Norman Lamb: holding answer 15 May 2012
	In June 2009 the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) was merged with the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) to create the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). Therefore we only have access to data from this date.
	The following table shows how many days of sick leave were taken by staff in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills including UKTI in each of the last three years. The figures are based on a 12-month rolling period.
	
		
			  Number of sick leave days 
			 (1) July 2009 to June 2010 13,036 
			 (2) July 2010 to June 2011 9,867 
			 (3) January 2011 to December 2011(1) 13,819 
			 (1) 3(rd) year data overlap 2(nd) year due to the way in which data are collected on a 12 month rolling period. 
		
	
	All BIS core (including UKTI) and agencies sickness absence information is published on a quarterly basis and can be found in the following link.
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/about/performance-reports

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Consultants

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on external consultants, including management consultants, in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

John Penrose: The following table shows the Department for Culture, Media and Sports (DCMS) expenditure on external consultants for the years 2010-11 and 2011-12. General use of consultants by DCMS has fallen substantially, although spending on two finite major projects has risen—the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK). These have been set out as individual items.
	
		
			 £ 
			  BDUK Olympics DCMS 
			 2010-11 3.00 72,764 276,807 
			 2011-12(1) 1,039,235 103,293 115,581 
			 1 Subject to finalisation of accounts.

Cricket

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has made an assessment of the Israel Cricket Association's cricket 4 peace project.

Hugh Robertson: The Department has not carried out an assessment of the Israel Cricket Association's cricket 4 peace project. However, the International Cricket Council has provided the Department with information about the project, and we are supportive of initiatives that use sport as a tool to bring communities together.

Direct Selling

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps his Department plans to take to try to restrict the number of unwanted and nuisance marketing calls originating from overseas which are not prevented by telephone preference service opt-out.

Edward Vaizey: The Telephone Preference Service (TPS) offers protection against unsolicited calls either made in the UK or made overseas on behalf of UK companies. Unfortunately, unsolicited international marketing calls that are not made on behalf of UK companies are outside the jurisdiction of the UK. However, consumers are able to take a number of steps to protect themselves and reduce the need to answer such calls. Most telecom service providers offer a range of services that can help including Calling Line Identification Display, Automatic Call Rejection and Choose to Refuse. In addition, a range of other devices is also commercially available that can help to block unwanted calls.

Leveson Inquiry

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether the costs of the legal representation of Government Ministers who have been granted core participant status at the Leveson Inquiry will be met from the public purse; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Hunt: holding answer 14 May 2012
	The cost of the application to the Leveson Inquiry for core participant status for those Government Ministers who are to provide evidence was met from public funds. This included the cost of Treasury Counsel. The Government core participants have also been offered support from Government lawyers and other officials in the preparation of their evidence for the Inquiry insofar as that evidence relates to ministerial business.

Leveson Inquiry

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport for what reason Ministers which are core participants at the Leveson Inquiry are being represented by Treasury Counsel.

Jeremy Hunt: holding answer 14 May 2012
	First Treasury Counsel was instructed by the Treasury Solicitors Department to make the application before the Inquiry for core participant status for those Government Ministers who are to give evidence to the Inquiry. As was made clear at that hearing, it is not anticipated that the Government core participants will be routinely represented by counsel during the Inquiry.

Leveson Inquiry

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will make public funding available on a non-means-tested basis to cover the costs of legal representation at the Leveson Inquiry for all core participants who are (a) active in politics and (b) hon. Members.

Jeremy Hunt: holding answer 14 May 2012
	Under the Inquiries Act 2005, it is for the Inquiry Chairman to determine what awards are made in respect of legal representation in line with the Inquiry Rules 2006.

Mobile Phones

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many households' digital television reception will be affected by 4G mobile services once such services come into operation.

Edward Vaizey: The matter raised is an operational issue for the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom).
	Ofcom recently consulted on the coexistence between new services in 800 MHz and the existing digital terrestrial television (DTT) service.
	Details of the number of households that could potentially be affected are set out in the consultation document which has been published on Ofcom's website, and can be found using the link:
	http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/coexistence-with-dtt/
	To address the issue the Government has now taken policy decisions relating to DTT coexistence. These are as follows:
	A single implementation body (referred to as ‘MitCo’) will be set up to manage the delivery of DTT interference mitigation and provide support to DTT consumers. This will be led by the new 800 MHz licensees.
	MitCo will be provided with funding of £180 million. This money is expected to come from the new 800 MHz licensees. Government will bear the risk of any overspend and there will be a 50:50 gain share of any underspend between new licensees and Government when MitCo is closed down.
	MitCo will provide support to DTT consumers. This will include information and providing DTT receiver filters to households proactively and reactively. Platform changes will also be offered to households where filters do not solve the issue of interference.
	A Supervisory Board will be established to monitor MitCo's performance, and to advise Ofcom accordingly.
	Additional support will be provided to vulnerable consumers, including installation support; approximately £20 million of the £180 million fund is intended to cover the cost of this support.

Mobile Phones

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what plans he has to require mobile telephone operators winning the spectrum auction to provide funding to rectify any loss of digital television reception to consumers as a result of the introduction of 4G services;
	(2)  what his policy is on requiring mobile telephone operators winning the spectrum auction to pay the full costs of all consumers who need to take steps to rectify the loss of digital television reception as a result of the introduction of 4G services; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: The Government has taken a number of policy decisions relating to coexistence between the new mobile services to be introduced in 800 MHz and the existing digital terrestrial television service. These are as follows:
	A single implementation body (referred to as ‘MitCo’) will be set up to manage the delivery of DTT interference mitigation and provide support to DTT consumers. This will be led by the new 800 MHz licensees.
	MitCo will be provided with funding of £180 million. This money is expected to come from the new 800 MHz licensees. Government will bear the risk of any overspend and there will be a 50:50 gain share of any underspend between new licensees and Government when MitCo is closed down.
	MitCo will provide support to DTT consumers. This will include information and providing DTT receiver filters to households proactively and reactively. Platform changes will also be offered to households where filters do not solve the issue of interference.
	A Supervisory Board will be established to monitor MitCo's performance, and to advise Ofcom accordingly.
	Additional support will be provided to vulnerable consumers, including installation support; approximately £20 million of the £180 million fund is intended to cover the cost of this support.
	Ofcom recently consulted on the implementation of these policy decisions. They are currently considering all responses received and expect to make a statement in the summer.

Mobile Phones

Anna Soubry: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what his estimate is of the number and proportion of households (a) reliant on communal aerial systems and (b) using amplification equipment to boost television signal strength that will be affected by interference to their terrestrial digital television service from the use of spectrum by 4G mobile services.

Edward Vaizey: The matter raised is an operational issue for the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which is accountable to Parliament rather than Ministers. Accordingly, my officials have spoken to Ofcom, who advised:
	On 23 February 2012, Ofcom published a second consultation on co-existence between new services in 800 MHz and existing digital terrestrial television services.
	Within this consultation document Ofcom estimated that the number of households using signal amplifiers was 9 million of which up to 945,000 could be affected and the number of households using a communal aerial system was 5.6 million of which up to 953,000 households who use communal aerial systems could be affected. Ofcom estimates that the numbers of affected households could fall to 5,100 and 3,400 households respectively once a mixture of consumer based and selective mobile network based mitigation methods are applied.
	A more detailed analysis is contained in the consultation which is available on Ofcom's website, and can be found using the link:
	http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/coexistence-with-dtt/
	This consultation closed on 19 April and Ofcom are considering the responses received and expect to make a statement in the summer.

Mobile Phones

Anna Soubry: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what his estimate is of the number of households with more than one television set that may be affected by interference from the use of spectrum by 4G mobile services.

Edward Vaizey: The matter raised is an operational one for the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which is accountable to Parliament rather than Ministers. Accordingly, my officials spoke to Ofcom, who advised:
	Ofcom's modelling does not differentiate between the number of television sets a household has. Its technical assessment is based on whether or not the ability to receive DTT signals from a properly installed and well maintained roof top aerial is affected by LTE transmissions).

Mobile Phones

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  with reference to the answer to my right hon. Friend, the Member for Cardiff South and Penarth (Alun Michael) of 22 March 2012, Official Report, column 791W, on mobile phones: rural areas, what discussions he has had with rural campaign and consumer groups on Ofcom's proposal not to ensure all four mobile network operators have access to sub 1GHz spectrum;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the cost to the consumer of lack of choice of mobile network operators and tariff because mobile network operators do not have access to the sub 1GHz spectrum necessary to provide coverage in hard to serve areas.

Edward Vaizey: I have made no assessment of these issues.
	The matter raised is an operational one for the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom). Ofcom's second consultation on the combined auction of 800 MHz and 2600 MHz spectrum closed on 22 March. In that consultation, Ofcom set out its refined analysis of the relative technical capabilities of spectrum at different frequencies and the impact on competition of holding sub 1 GHz spectrum. Ofcom has received over 40 responses to this consultation which it is currently analysing. They intend to decide on these issues and publish a statement in July.

Video Games

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department has any plans to place further restrictions on the content of video games following the testimony of Anders Breivik.

Edward Vaizey: The Government are currently moving towards strengthening the laws in respect of video game regulation. We have recently announced our intention to designate officers of the Video Standards Council as the authorities responsible for the classification of video games. When that process is complete, it will for the first time be a legal requirement for all video games suitable for those aged 12 or over to be classified. It will be an offence to supply a video game in breach of its classification. In addition, there is one extra safeguard in the UK that is not part of the general Pan European Games Information scheme that we will be using: in the UK, there will be the option of refusing classification where a video game cannot fit within the published PEGI criteria. If a game that |s not exempt has no classification, it will be an offence to supply it to anyone.

Video Games

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many representations his Department has received from the Pan European Game Information Service in relation to newly-published video games.

Edward Vaizey: The Pan European Games Information system is the mechanism by which video games are rated. The bodies that implement the scheme are independent of Government and have not made any representations about newly-published video games.

HEALTH

Cancer: Drugs

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 18 April 2012, Official Report, column 415W, on cancer, how he plans to allocate the £150 million underspend from the 2011-12 cancer drug fund budget; and whether he plans to reduce the amount of money allocated to the cancer drug fund following that underspend.

Paul Burstow: The Government are committed to making £200 million available to the national health service for each of the three years of the Cancer Drugs Fund's operation. There are no plans to reduce this.
	This funding is only available to the NHS to allow patients to access the additional cancer drugs that their doctors recommend for them through the Fund in each year.

Cleaning Services

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his private ministerial office has spent on dry cleaning and laundry in the last 12 months.

Simon Burns: Nil.

Clinical Trials

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the effect of adaptive trials on the productivity of pharmaceutical research and development.

Simon Burns: A systematic review of drug development or drug licensing decisions that could inform a quantitative answer to the question is not available. The answer is based on the experience of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency in submissions received for scientific advice, clinical trial and marketing authorisation applications.
	Group-sequential trials are the most common and longest established type of adaptive design. They are in widespread use and have been for many years. Trials with this type of design are proposed and conducted by the pharmaceutical industry and by academic groups, and are endorsed and accepted by regulatory agencies worldwide. A group-sequential trial that meets stopping criteria at an interim analysis (for 'efficacy' representing a success, or for 'futility' representing a failure) will, in many circumstances, mean that resources which would have been spent on the continuation of the trial to be used elsewhere, increasing productivity. For example, all clinical trial sponsors designing Phase III confirmatory clinical trials in oncology would consider a group-sequential design with the possibility of early stopping for efficacy. It should be noted though that running a group-sequential design does add additional costs which would not be present if interim analyses were not conducted so it is not always beneficial to use such a design.
	Trials with sample size modifications are also uncontroversial. Before a trial begins there may not be enough information to make a good estimate of the required sample size and results from an interim analysis can be used to better inform the decision. This can improve productivity by avoiding resources being wasted in unnecessarily large trials, or on trials which turn out to be too small to answer the study objectives and have to then be repeated.
	More recently other types of adaptive design have started to be seen, possibly encouraged by the European Medicines Agency reflection paper on the subject.
	Many recent scientific advice applications have involved trials where treatment arms are discontinued after an interim analysis. For example a trial may begin with five different strengths of an experimental treatment being compared to placebo, and, based on the interim analysis, recruitment is stopped into all of the experimental strengths except for one. While many companies have sought advice on this approach the number of such trials that have been completed and submitted as part of a marketing authorisation application is limited so it is not possible to know if they would lead to productivity increases at this time. The approach could avoid the need for separate trials for dose selection and then to provide conclusive evidence of efficacy/safety for that dose, so there is potential for productivity gains. However, the need to make the dose decision quickly and without allowing wide dissemination of the interim results of the still blinded ongoing trial could mean that poorer decisions on the choice of dose are made, leading to failed trials and decreased productivity. In addition, the statistical penalties that have to be applied after dose selection to avoid increasing the number of false positive trials may also cause an increase in the number of patients needed. Therefore it is too early to say whether these newer types of adaptive design will increase productivity.

Community Nurses

Sarah Newton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to ensure universal access to 24/7 community nursing in order to allow more people to die at home.

Anne Milton: It is for local health care organisations to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for end of life care, and to determine the work force required to meet people's needs locally.
	Government policies will help enable people to choose where they wish to die. We are implementing the End of Life Care Strategy, which aims to improve the quality of choices in end of life care for all adults. We are seeing a steady improvement and the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (Q2 2011-12) show 41% die in their usual place of residence.
	The Department is working with community nurses and professional organisations as part of a development programme to scope a renewed model for community nursing, focusing on district nursing services.

Companies

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department collects on the number of NHS trusts or primary care trusts establishing their own limited companies; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: This information is not held centrally.

Contraceptives

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to improve access for women to contraceptive services.

Anne Milton: Government recognises that easy access to the full range of contraception provision is an important part of health care, which helps people to make informed decisions about how to avoid unintended pregnancy and plan their families.
	From 1 April 2013, local authorities (LAs) will commission all contraception services outside of the general practitioner contract. LAs will be mandated to commission comprehensive, open access contraception advice and services. The Government will be publishing its sexual health policy document later this year which will set out the evidence base for how all sexual health provision can be improved.

Disability Aids

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to include augmentative and alternative communication within specialist services for the purpose of funding by the national commissioning boards.

Simon Burns: The Health and Social Care Act 2012 sets out our intention that the NHS Commissioning Board (NHS CB) will take responsibility for directly commissioning a number of services including specialised services, which are currently commissioned at both a national and regional level.
	We are working with national health service colleagues who currently commission specialised services to provide a list of services using the Specialised Services National Definition Set as a solid basis. This list will be subject to consultation with the board and then will be set out in regulations.
	No final decisions have yet been taken on which services will be directly commissioned by the NHS CB. Ministers expect to be in a position to confirm the list of services in the summer.

Drugs: Side Effects

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of steps taken within the NHS to ensure that adverse drug reactions in patients are detected at the earliest possible stage in cases where there are grounds for concern about potential side-effects of a drug.

Simon Burns: Reports of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are collected by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Commission for Human Medicines through a spontaneous reporting scheme; the Yellow Card Scheme. The scheme collects ADR reports from across the whole United Kingdom and includes all medicines and vaccines, including those from prescriptions, over-the-counter or general retail sales. Reports are also received for herbal medicines and other unlicensed medicines.
	This type of reporting scheme is associated with an unknown level of under-reporting. Reporting rates are likely to be influenced by the seriousness of reactions, their ease of recognition, the extent of use of a particular drug and promotion and publicity about a drug. The MHRA have developed a Yellow Card Strategy which aims to publicise the importance of reporting to the scheme and raise awareness among health care professionals and patients. Activities have included display of an information video in general practitioner (GP) surgeries, a poster campaign, and distribution of patient Yellow Card leaflets to UK pharmacies and GP surgeries.
	Currently we are working to make reporting easier for health professionals through introducing electronic Yellow Card reporting into clinical information technology systems in primary care through the GP System of Choice Programme. Other initiatives in the pharmacy and secondary care settings are also ongoing.
	The MHRA are also using other methods to encourage reporting through the education of reporters including the development of a Pharmacovigilance (the process by which the safety of all medicines is monitored throughout their marketed life), learning module and through working with other organisations to develop training information for health professionals.
	The MHRA are working to further develop links with patient support organisations and health related charities, as well to help promote the scheme and encourage Yellow Card reporting through these organisations.
	There are five regional Yellow Card centres in the UK who undertake local initiatives to educate health care professionals on drug safety and the importance of reporting suspected adverse reactions.
	A monthly electronic newsletter called Drug Safety Update is produced by the MHRA to inform health professionals about the latest medicines safety issues. Urgent safety issues that are identified by the MHRA are alerted to health care professionals via the Central Alerting System.

Eye Health

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to raise awareness of the kerotoconus eye condition.

Simon Burns: We have not undertaken any specific steps to raise awareness of keratoconus.
	Free national health service sight tests are, however, available to large parts of the population including people aged 60 and over, children, those aged 16-18 in full-time education, people on benefits, those people at particular risk of developing eye disease and people who are registered blind and partially sighted or who have a complex spectacle prescription.
	We would encourage individuals to have their sight tested every two years (or earlier if advised by their optometrist). We would also encourage anyone experiencing any visual disturbance, which may be the result of early keratoconus, to seek advice from an ophthalmic practitioner.
	Sight tests provide the ideal opportunity to review all aspects of eye health, including investigations for signs of disease such as keratoconus.

Health Services

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) managers, (b) senior managers and (c) administrators there were in the (i) Mid-Essex Primary Care Trust, (ii) North East Essex Primary Care Trust and (iii) West Essex Primary Care Trust in each of the last five years; what the total cost to the public purse was of those posts in each primary care trust; and what the staffing levels were of each primary care trust in the latest period for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: Information about the number of staff in the primary care trusts (PCTs) requested, including managers, senior managers and administrators, is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 National health service hospital and community health services: senior managers, managers and clerical and administrative staff in Mid Essex PCT, North East Essex PCT and West Essex PCT as at 30 September, 2007 to 2011, and monthly provisional data for 31 January 2012 
			 Headcount 
			  2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Jan 2012 
			 North East Essex PCT 434 468 536 503 513 141 
			 O f which:       
			 Senior managers 25 27 28 27 27 18 
			 Managers 47 41 56 51 48 30 
			 Clerical and administrative 362 400 452 427 441 93 
			        
			        
			        
			 Mid-Essex PCT 306 340 429 434 407 411 
			 O f which:       
			 Senior managers 15 23 28 38 39 39 
			 Managers 48 55 74 50 47 47 
			 Clerical and administrative 243 262 327 349 325 325 
			        
			 West Essex PCT 307 352 388 438 326 304 
			 O f which:       
			 Senior managers 9 9 12 27 23 19 
			 Managers 58 67 84 73 61 59 
			 Clerical and administrative 240 276 292 339 243 227 
			 Notes: 1. The new headcount methodology from 2010 onwards is not fully comparable with previous years' data due to improvements that make it a more stringent count of absolute staff numbers. 2. Headcount totals are unlikely to equal the sum of components. 3. The data for January 2012 is the latest available. 4. Changes in hospital and community health services staff figures may be due to PCT provider services moving to neighbouring trusts or other organisations as part of the national Transforming Community Services programme. 5. Monthly data: As from 21 July 2010, the Health and Social Care Information Centre has published provisional monthly NHS workforce data. As expected with provisional statistics, some figures may be revised from month to month as issues are uncovered and resolved. The monthly work force data are not directly comparable with the annual workforce census. They include those staff on the Electronic Staff Record (i.e. they do not include primary care staff or bank staff). They also include locum doctors (not counted in the annual census). There are also new methods, of presenting data—headcount methodology is different and there is now a role count. 6. Data quality: the Health and Social Care Information Centre seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality where changes impact on figures already published. This is assessed but unless it is significant at national level figures are not changed. Impact at detailed or local level is footnoted in relevant analyses. Sources: 1. Data for 2007-11: the Health and Social Care Information Centre annual NHS work force census. 2. Data for January 2012: the Health and Social Care Information Centre provisional monthly work force statistics 
		
	
	Information about the “cost to the public purse” of managers, senior managers and administrators is shown in the following tables:
	
		
			 Managers and senior managers staff costs 
			 £000 
			 Organisation 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 Mid Essex PCT 5,835 3,624 4,657 6,078 6,197 
			 North East Essex PCT 3,634 4,200 4,300 5,704 5,025 
			 West Essex PCT 4,585 4,976 5,592 7,658 7,949 
		
	
	
		
			 Administrative and clerical staff costs 
			 £000 
			 Organisation 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 Mid Essex PCT 4,380 4,825 6,462 9,131 8,914 
			 North East Essex PCT 8,154 7,000 7,200 12,568 9,646 
			 West Essex PCT 3,248 4,625 5,563 6,316 9,581 
			 Notes: 1. The table provides the resource cost of managers and senior managers. The managers and senior managers category includes all staff under the 1G0*’ or ‘G1*’ codes as set out in the NHS Occupation Code Manual. These codes are part of the ‘administration and estates’ staff matrix used in the NHS. 2. Under the occupation codes, managers and senior managers who need to be a qualified doctor, nurse, therapist, scientist or trained ambulance personnel should be included in their own area of work, i.e. a manager who needs to be a trained doctor is included under the ‘medical and dental’ staff matrix. Such managers, therefore, are excluded from the figures provided. It is not possible to disaggregate these managers from the other matrices in the data held centrally. 3. Staff at executive level who do not need to be clinically qualified are included. 4. It is not possible to separately identify the cost of staff employed as ‘administrators’. The table includes the resource cost of administrative and clerical staff, which is a subcategory of the ‘administration and estates’ staff matrix. The figures for administrative and clerical staff include non NHS staff, i.e. staff employed via an employment agency. Source: 2006-07 to 2010-11 PCT Financial Returns (FRs)

Health Services

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on redundancies by (a) Mid-Essex Primary Care Trust, (b) North East Essex Primary Care Trust and (c) West Essex Primary Care Trust in each of the last five years.

Simon Burns: Information about the total cost of 'exit packages' for Mid Essex Primary Care Trust (PCT), North East Essex PCT and West Essex PCT is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Total cost of 'exit packages' for the organisations shown 
			 £000 
			 Organisation 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 Mid Essex PCT n/a n/a n/a 0 197 
			 North East Essex PCT n/a n/a n/a 49 330 
			 West Essex PCT n/a n/a n/a 3 309 
			 Notes: 1. Information on ‘exit packages’ was first collected centrally in 2009-10, therefore figures on an equivalent basis for earlier years are not available (n/a). 2. The data is taken from the audited summarisation schedules of PCTs, from which the NHS (England) Summarised Accounts are prepared. The figures reported in the accounts represent the total resource cost of exit packages for staff leaving their organisation during the year. The expense associated with these departures may have been recognised in part or in full in a previous period. 3. Exit packages include compulsory redundancies and other departures. Other departures include early retirements (except those due to ill health). Voluntary redundancies are not separately identifiable from the other departures; therefore, an overall figure for redundancies is not available. Source: PCT audited summarisation schedules

Hospitals

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people waiting for treatment had been on a waiting list for (a) six months, (b) 12 months and (c) 18 months or more at (i) Northwick Park Hospital, (ii) Hillingdon Hospital, (iii) St Mary's Hospital, Paddington and (iv) Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The information is not available in the format requested. Information on referral to treatment times for February 2012, provided by the trusts responsible for Northwick Park hospital, Hillingdon hospital and the Chelsea and Westminster hospital is shown in the following table. No recent information is available for Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, which is responsible for St Mary's hospital, Paddington. No information on patients waiting longer than 18 months is available.
	
		
			 Name of trust Total number of patients awaiting treatment at month end Total waiting over 26 weeks Total waiting over 52 weeks 
			 The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 11,196 52 0 
			 Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 11,009 445 0 
			 North West London Hospitals NHS Trust 19,298 502 9 
			 Source: Unify2 data collection—RTT

Hospitals

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department collects on the number of cancelled (a) in-patient and (b) out-patient appointments; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The Department does not collect information on the number of cancelled in-patient and out-patient appointments. The Department does collect information on the number of operations cancelled by the hospital on or after the day of admission (including the day of surgery) for non-clinical reasons and this information is published on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Statistics/Performancedataandstatistics/Cancelledoperations/index.htm
	The NHS Information Centre does not collect information on cancelled in-patient appointments. It does collect information on the number of out-patient appointments cancelled by patients and hospitals in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) and this information is published as part of the reports on HES.

NHS

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) approved social workers and (b) other mental health staff were employed by the NHS in each region of England in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12; how many are expected to be employed in 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The number of social workers is not collected centrally as social workers are employed by local authorities in England and not by the national health service.
	The number of mental health staff employed by the NHS in England by strategic health authority for 2010-11 and 2011-12 is shown in the following table for medical and non-medical staff. Qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff in social services employed by the NHS in England are also shown by strategic health authority for 2010-11 and 2011-12 in the non-medical table.
	For the NHS, work force planning is a matter for local organisations. They are best placed to assess the health needs of their local health community and will commission the required number of training places to develop the work force to meet those needs.
	
		
			 Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS): Medical staff in the psychiatry group of specialties by strategic health authority—as at 30 September each year 
			 Headcount 
			  2010 2011 
			 England 9,731 9,835 
			    
			 North East Strategic Health Authority area 596 611 
			 North West Strategic Health Authority area 985 915 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority area 851 846 
			 East Midlands Strategic Health Authority area 722 708 
			 West Midlands Strategic Health Authority area 899 1,000 
			 East of England Strategic Health Authority area 908 900 
			 London Strategic Health Authority area 2,377 2,329 
			 South East Coast Strategic Health Authority area 700 704 
			 South Central Strategic Health Authority area 673 701 
			 South West Strategic Health Authority area 857 833 
			 Special health authorities and other statutory bodies 178 298 
			 Notes: 1. Headcount totals are unlikely to equal the sum of components. 2 The new headcount methodology from 2010 onwards is not fully comparable with previous years data due to improvements that make it a more stringent count of absolute staff numbers. Further information on the headcount methodology is available in the Census publication here: www.ic.nhs.uk/webfiles/publications/010_Workforce/nhsstaff0010/Census_Bulletin_March_2011_Final.pdf 3. Data Quality: The Health and Social Care Information Centre seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality. Where changes impact on figures already published, this is assessed but unless it is significant at national level figures are not changed. Impact at detailed or local level is footnoted in relevant analyses. Source: Health and Social Care Information Centre Medical and Dental Workforce Census 
		
	
	
		
			 NHS hospital and community health services: Non-medical staff in England in each specified area of work by strategic health authority area as at 30 September each specified year 
			 Headcount 
			  England as at 30 September 2010 
			  Community psychiatric nurses Other psychiatric nurses Community learning disabilities nurses Other learning disabilities nurses Qualified clinical psychology staff Qualified psychotherapy staff Qualified ST&T social services staff 
			 England 17,379 26,784 2,821 2,877 8,289 1,971 1,892 
			         
			 North East Strategic Health Authority area 1,182 1,811 271 474 398 37 168 
			 North West Strategic Health Authority area 2,534 4,150 407 426 1,108 124 184 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority area 1,756 2,677 353 369 661 188 177 
			 East Midlands Strategic Health Authority area 1,597 2,498 240 269 497 77 149 
			 West Midlands Strategic Health Authority area 1,962 2,654 485 388 833 97 258 
			 East of England Strategic Health Authority area 1,683 2,427 322 260 706 162 455 
			 London Strategic Health Authority area 2,177 5,850 182 154 2,360 771 198 
			 South East Coast Strategic Health Authority area 1,123 1,423 169 159 504 185 15 
			 South Central Strategic Health Authority area 1,315 1,448 155 227 568 174 103 
			 South West Strategic Health Authority area 2,052 1,842 237 151 692 170 185 
			 Special health authorities and others — 8 — — — — — 
		
	
	
		
			 Headcount 
			  England as at 30 September 2011 
			  Community psychiatric nurses Other psychiatric nurses Community learning disabilities nurses Other learning disabilities nurses Qualified clinical psychology staff Qualified psychotherapy staff Qualified ST&T social services staff 
			 England 16,927 25,942 2,604 2,585 8,307 2,398 1,850 
			         
			 North East Strategic Health Authority area 1,245 1,710 275 436 419 95 193 
			 North West Strategic Health Authority area 2,428 3,988 361 387 1,098 228 197 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority area 1,668 2,641 316 362 671 233 190 
			 East Midlands Strategic Health Authority area 1,575 2,510 245 203 475 107 132 
			 West Midlands Strategic Health Authority area 1,804 2,478 369 390 853 134 140 
		
	
	
		
			 East of England Strategic Health Authority area 1,611 2,324 307 229 792 175 442 
			 London Strategic Health Authority area 2,097 5,648 157 150 2,230 793 238 
			 South East Coast Strategic Health Authority area 1,112 1,373 161 116 529 234 13 
			 South Central Strategic Health Authority area 1,232 1,454 141 204 556 169 122 
			 South West Strategic Health Authority area 2,155 1,812 271 109 717 243 183 
			 Special health authorities and others 2 8 1 — 2 — — 
			 Notes: 1. Headcount totals are unlikely to equal the sum of components. 2. The new headcount methodology from 2010 onwards is not fully comparable with previous years data due to improvements that make it a more stringent count of absolute staff numbers. Further information on the headcount methodology is available in the Census publication here: www.ic.nhs.uk/webfiles/publications/010_Workforce/nhsstaff0010/Census_Bulletin_March_2011_Final.pdf 3. ST&T—Scientific, therapeutic and technical staff. ST&T staff in the social services area of work are former local authority social care staff who may be employed by PCTs and Care trusts. These are staff who need to be (or work directly with) qualified social services staff to do their jobs within the organisation. For example social or youth workers, day-care advisers, child protection officers, family placement officers, rehabilitation staff, or handicapped service workers. (Note that this list is not exhaustive).These staff are not to be confused with social services staff employed by local authorities working in areas such as child protection, homelessness and domestic abuse. Source: The Health and Social Care Information Centre Non-Medical Workforce Census.

Pain: Mental Illness

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 25 April 2012, Official Report, column 911W, on pain: mental illness, what assessment has been made of the efficacy of using mindfulness-based therapies for the alleviation of chronic pain and depression in sufferers of chronic pain.

Paul Burstow: The Department has made no specific assessment of the efficacy of mindfulness-based therapies in the treatment of chronic pain or associated depression. The available literature suggests that such therapies are promising but that definitive evidence of their efficacy is currently lacking. The British Pain Society's draft pathways for the treatment of chronic pain refer to the use of a range of psychological therapies, which could include mindfulness-based therapies.

Parkinson’s Disease

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will consider ending prescription charges for people with Parkinson’s disease.

Paul Burstow: In 2009, Professor Sir Ian Gilmore carried out a review to consider how to extend free prescriptions to all those with long-term conditions. This review made a number of proposals, and was published in May 2010 by the Government.
	We announced in the spending review, published in October 2010, that to ensure spending in the national health service is focused on priorities, some programmes announced by the previous Government would not be implemented—including proposals to extend free prescriptions to all those with long term conditions.
	We are continuing to look at options for creating a fairer system of prescription charges and exemptions, which takes into account the overall NHS financial context and introduction of universal credit. We have no current plans for a further review of the list of medical conditions that confer exemption.

Prescription Drugs

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions for (a) benzodiazepine and (b) Z drug tranquilliser were issued in each quarter of 2011.

Simon Burns: The information requested is shown in the following two tables.
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of benzodiazepine prescription items written in the United Kingdom and dispensed in the community in England in each quarter of 2011 
			 Quarter Prescription items (1) 
			 1 2,805,358 
			 2 2,803,955 
			 3 2,864,279 
			 4 2,834,402 
			 (1) The medicines included in this total are Alprazolam, Chlordiazepoxide Hydrochloride, Clobazam, Clonazepam, Diazepam, Flurazepam Hydrochloride, Loprazolam Mesilate, Lorazepam, Lormetazepam, Midazolam Hydrochloride, Midazolam Maleate, Nitrazepam, Oxazepam and Temazepam. Source: Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) system 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Number of ‘Z-drug’ prescription items written in the UK and dispensed in the community in England in England in each quarter of 2011 
			 Quarter Prescription items (1) 
			 1 1,567,890 
			 2 1,528,037 
			 3 1,576,296 
			 4 1,599,756 
			 (1) The medicines included in this total are Zolpidem, Zaieplon and Zopiclone. Source: Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) system

Radiotherapy

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  with reference to the answer of 19 April 2012, Official Report, columns 476-7W, on radiotherapy, how many cancer patients receiving radiotherapy were treated as outpatients; and how the data relating to these patients is inputted into the annual radiotherapy dataset report;
	(2)  with reference to the answer of 19 April 2012, Official Report, columns 475-6W, on radiotherapy, how much of the £150 million allocated for the financial year 2011-12 was (a) spent overall, (b) used to purchase new radiotherapy equipment and (c) used to establish new radiotherapy services;
	(3)  whether stereotactic body radiotherapy treatment and stereotactic radiosurgery using less than fifteen fractions is included in the report analysis of the Radiotherapy Dataset Report 2010-11;
	(4)  what the reasons were for discontinuing the UK radiotherapy equipment survey in 2010; and whether this information is collected in another format;
	(5)  what percentage of the data in the Radiotherapy Dataset reports (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11 was not collected automatically via the Commercial Oncology Management System; which hospitals entered some or all of their data in a format other than automatically through the Commercial Oncology Management System; whether data on all stereotactic body radiotherapy treatment is included in the reports; and whether data on all intensity-modulated radiation therapy is included in the reports.

Paul Burstow: The vast majority of radiotherapy procedures are carried out in an out-patient setting. The Radiotherapy Dataset (RTDS) 2009/10 report, published in August 2011, records 126,400 episodes of care. It should be noted that episodes of care cannot be considered a count of patients as a patient may have had more than one episode of care during the year. The report can be found at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/documents/digitalasset/dh_128868.pdf
	The RTDS manual sets out the data collection process and can be found at:
	www.canceruk.net/rtservices/rtds/rtdsdownloads/Radiotherapy%20Dataset%20Manual%20v3.7.doc
	“Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer”, published on 12 January 2011, set out our commitment to expand radiotherapy capacity by investing over £150 million in additional funding over the next four years. This additional funding was included in the financial settlement for the spending review period 2011-12 to 2014-15 to be included in primary care trust (PCT) baseline allocations, alongside the existing funding for radiotherapy.
	Recurrent revenue allocations are currently made to PCTs on the basis of a weighted capitation formula used to determine PCTs' target shares of available resources to enable them to commission similar levels of health services for populations in similar need. Funding for specific services is not identified at PCT-level. It is for PCTs to decide how to use their funding to commission services, including radiotherapy services, to meet the health care needs of their local populations, taking account of local and national priorities.
	Since April 2011, the RTDS has been mandated data collection for all radiotherapy treatment given, including all stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) using fewer than 15 fractions.
	The National Cancer Services Analysis Team continues to update the inventory of radiotherapy treatment equipment on a routine basis. This is necessary to collect the radiotherapy dataset. The machine level activity data that used to be collected through the United Kingdom radiotherapy equipment survey are now collected as part of the RTDS. The inventory does not include items of equipment not used for treatment, such as radiotherapy planning equipment, which are included in the equipment survey.
	Data that has been entered manually are not identified in the RTDS. However, almost all of the radiotherapy data collected and subsequently used to provide the analyses in the RTDS reports for 2009-10 and 2010-11 are collected automatically via Oncology Management Systems.
	Data on Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy and SABR are included in the RTDS but cannot be identified separately because the current limitations of the OPCS Classification of Interventions and Procedures codes do not identify the majority of these treatments.

Social Services

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 23 April 2012, Official Report, columns 709-10W, on expenditure on social care, how many persons were involved in each of the categories listed for each of the years 2001-02 to 2010-11; and what the average expenditure per person in each of these categories for each of these years was.

Paul Burstow: The following tables contain the information requested.
	Table 1 shows gross current expenditure by client group for England from 2001-02 to 2010-11. This table corrects the information given in my answer to the right hon. Member on 23 April 2012, Official Report, columns 709-10W. The expenditure on adults aged 18 to 64 with a physical disability for 2004-05 is 1,240 million, not 1,340 million as previously stated.
	Table 2 shows the number of clients receiving services by client group for England from 2001-01 to 2010-11. Table 3 shows the average gross current expenditure per service user by client group for England from 2001-02 to 2010-11.
	Data from 2004-05 to 2010-11 on provision of care packages provided by Councils with Adult Social Services Responsibilities (CASSRs) were collected and published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre. Data from 2004-05 to 2010-11 relating to social care expenditure provided by CASSRs were collected and published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre. Data in tables 2 and 3 dating prior to 2004-05 were collected by the Department, and are not directly comparable to data of subsequent years.
	
		
			 Table 1: Gross Current Expenditure by client group for England from 2001-02 to 2010-11 
			 £ million 
			  2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 Older people 6,170 6,860 7,380 7,970 8,390 8,660 8,770 9,080 9,390 9,440 
			 Adults aged 18-64 with a physical disability 930 1,050 1,140 1,240 1,360 1,420 1,480 1,560 1,650 1,660 
			 Adults aged 18-64 with learning disabilities 1,900 2,250 2,610 2,850 3,110 3,290 3,450 3,810 4,010 4,190 
			 Adults aged 18-64 with mental health needs 720 810 940 1,000 1,060 1,070 1,120 1,160 1,220 1,220 
			 Note: Expenditure funded from the Supporting People (SP) grant that councils have classified as social services expenditure rather than housing expenditure was introduced from 2003-04 onwards. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Number of clients receiving services by client group for England from 2001-01 to 2010-11 
			 Rounded 
			  2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 
			 Older people 1,190,110 1,215,270 1,254,025 1,228,375 1,230,625 1,231,395 
			 Adults aged 18-64 with a physical disability 185,790 188,790 200,620 198,730 209,200 211,950 
			 Adults aged 18-64 with learning disabilities 100,910 112,885 116,185 116,610 122,155 124,765 
			 Adults aged 18-64 with mental health needs 122,055 133,455 140,810 154,765 167,165 186,855 
		
	
	
		
			 Rounded 
			  2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 Older people 1,220,660 1,215,575 1,147,695 1,064,475 
			 Adults aged 18-64 with a physical disability 220,685 221,170 206,105 189,830 
			 Adults aged 18-64 with learning disabilities 126,245 128,000 128,585 129,165 
			 Adults aged 18-64 with mental health needs 187,125 197,235 196,600 172,645 
			 Notes: 1. Data on the number of people receiving services from 2004-05 are not comparable to previous years. In 2004-05 restated guidance was issued to exclude people receiving services from grant funded organisations who had not had a community care assessment. Additional clarification was also given on the recording of some types of services. These amendments mainly affect clients receiving community-based services. 2. Since 2002-03, clients who were formally in receipt of higher rates of income support under the Department for Work Pensions preserved rights (PR) scheme and who transferred to council support on 8 April 2002 have been included in the RAP return. Clients who were in receipt of preserved rights but who were already being partially supported by councils were previously included in the data and are not considered as clients formerly in receipt of preserved rights. This mainly affects clients in residential care. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 3: Average expenditure per service user by client group for England from 2001-02 to 2010-11 
			 £000 rounded 
			  2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 Older people 5.2 5.6 5.9 6.5 6.8 7.0 7.2 7.5 8.2 8.9 
			 Adults aged 18-64 with a physical disability 5.0 5.5 5.7 6.2 6.5 6.7 6.7 7.0 8.0 8.7 
		
	
	
		
			 Adults aged 18-64 with learning disabilities 18.9 20.0 22.5 24.4 25.5 26.4 27.4 29.7 31.2 32.4 
			 Adults aged 18-64 with mental health needs 5.9 6.1 6.7 6.5 6.3 5.8 6.0 5.9 6.2 7.1 
			 Notes: 1. Expenditure funded from the Supporting People. (SP) grant that councils have classified as social services expenditure rather than housing expenditure was introduced from 2003-04 onwards. 2. Data on the number of people receiving services from 2004-05 are not comparable to previous years. In 2004-05 restated guidance was issued to exclude people receiving services from grant funded organisations who had not had a community care assessment. Additional clarification was also given on the recording of some types of services. These amendments mainly affect clients receiving community-based services. 3. Since 2002-03, clients who were formally in receipt of higher rates of income support under the Department for Work Pensions preserved rights (PR) scheme and who transferred to council support on 8 April 2002 have been included in the RAP return. Clients who were in receipt of preserved rights but who were already being partially supported by councils were previously included in the data and are not considered as clients formerly in receipt of preserved rights. This mainly affects clients in residential care.

Tobacco

Ian Paisley Jnr: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the dates were of each meeting he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the possible effect of the implementation of plain packaging across all cigarette brands on the smuggling of contraband cigarettes into the UK.

Anne Milton: Discussions on health policy issues take place regularly between Ministers, and the potential unintended consequences of standardised tobacco packaging was discussed at official level on a number of occasions during the development of the current consultation on the packaging of tobacco products.
	Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs has lead responsibility for tackling the illicit sale of tobacco products, including tackling the smuggling of contraband cigarettes.
	A copy of the ‘Consultation on standardised packaging of tobacco products’ has already been placed in the Library.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Economy

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the recent Budget on the economy of Northern Ireland.

Hugo Swire: This Government inherited the largest fiscal deficit in our peacetime history. Our primary task must be to address that. As a result Northern Ireland benefits from continuing low interest rates, the UK's triple A rating and our continuing commitment to help rebalance the economy.

Security

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Owen Paterson: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friends the Members for Filton and Bradley Stoke (Jack Lopresti), North West Leicestershire (Andrew Bridgen), York Outer (Julian Sturdy) and the hon. Member for Scunthorpe (Nic Dakin).

Air Transport Links

Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment he has made of air transport links between Northern Ireland and other domestic and international destinations.

Hugo Swire: Maintaining and developing Northern Ireland's air transport links to domestic and international destinations is of huge importance for both business and tourism and we are working in partnership with the Executive to do just that.

Sick Leave

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many days of sick leave were taken by staff in his Department in each of the last three years.

Owen Paterson: Comparable figures for the Department as it is now configured are not available for the years preceding the completion of devolution of policing and justice functions on 12 April 2010. During 2010-11 and 2011-12, staff in my Department took a total of 1,349 and 1,078 days sick absence respectively.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Bees

Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department has taken to ensure the continued health of bees.

James Paice: Since the Healthy Bees Plan was launched in April 2009, the Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA), on behalf of DEFRA and the Welsh Assembly Government, has been working in partnership with beekeeping stakeholders to deliver the Plan's objectives to improve honey bee health. Details of the implementation of the Healthy Bees Plan are available on the National Bee Unit's BeeBase website.
	DEFRA is also providing £2.5 million over five years (from 2010-11) towards the £10 million Insect Pollinators Initiative which is being jointly funded with Scottish Government, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the Wellcome Trust.
	In addition “Biodiversity 2020”, the new Biodiversity Strategy for England, set out a series of high-level outcomes for both habitats and species to be achieved by 2020, including 90% of priority habitats in favourable or recovering condition; more, bigger and less fragmented areas for wildlife, with no net loss of priority habitat; an increase in the overall extent of priority habitats by at least 200,000 ha; and a commitment to prevent further human-induced extinctions of known species.
	Further, we have awarded £7.5 million to 12 Nature Improvement Areas to become better places for wildlife, creating more and better-connected habitats, helping wildlife to thrive and adapt to climate change, and enhancing ecosystem services, including pollination. We have also invited applications for Local Nature Partnership (LNP) status, and published an overview of the LNP role which includes taking a strategic view of what is needed locally to conserve nature and sustain ecosystem services.

Dogs

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will bring forward legislation to make compulsory the use of leads on dogs when walking on a public highway.

James Paice: Under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005, local authorities have powers to make Dog Control Orders (DCO) on specified land open to the public. A DCO can require dog walkers to keep their dogs on leads on public highways. Local authorities are best placed to decide where such restrictions should be applied.

Flood Control

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is considering for upgrading the sea wall defences from Sunderland Point to Silverdale in Lancashire.

Richard Benyon: The Environment Agency is working closely with Lancaster city council to manage the flood and coastal erosion risk in this area.
	The Shoreline Management Plan has recently been completed and adopted by the city council. The plan defines the preferred policies for management of the coast based on an assessment of risk to people and property, the environment and the local economy. It supports and directs future investment into coast protection works to include sea wall defences.
	The majority of the sea wall defences in this area are located in Morecambe. The city council is currently developing proposals for renewing the wave reflection wall along the Morecambe sea front in order to sustain long term protection to this area.
	Lancaster city council and the Environment Agency are also working closely with the Sunderland Point community to deliver coast protection works to slow down the rate of erosion to the Point itself. The community has raised the funds to complete this work and is subject to Natural England approvals.

Hunting Act 2004

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the operation of the Hunting Act 2004; whether she has any plans to (a) review and (b) bring forward proposals to amend the legislation in the next two years; and whether she had any meetings with interested parties to discuss the issue since May 2010.

James Paice: The Hunting Act 2004 was passed under the previous Administration, and remains highly controversial. Many people consider that the Act has not been a success and that it is unenforceable.
	The coalition Government have said that it intends to put forward a motion enabling the House of Commons to express its view on the repeal of the Hunting Act 2004 at an appropriate time. This position has not changed.
	I had a meeting with the Countryside Alliance in December 2011, during which the Hunting Act 2004 was discussed.

Sick Leave

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many days of sick leave were taken by staff in her Department in each of the last three years.

Richard Benyon: The number of working days lost in core DEFRA due to sickness in the last three financial years was as follows:
	
		
			 Financial year Total working days lost Average working days lost per staff member 
			 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012 8,892 4.0 
			 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011 13,527 5.4 
			 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010 14,374 5.8

UN Conference on Sustainable Development

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her priorities are for the Rio+20 conference.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 15 May 2012
	Rio+20 is an opportunity to address the linked challenges of climate change, sustainable development, natural resources use and poverty eradication, while providing fresh impetus to strong, sustainable and balanced growth of the global economy.
	To this end, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is working with Cabinet colleagues to deliver an ambitious outcome for Rio+20 in particular a political declaration on the need for sustainable, low-carbon and climate-resilient growth; agreement on sustainable development goals as a means of focussing international attention on cross-cutting issues, such as food, water and energy security; additional measures of GDP in Government accounting (taking into account the value of natural resources and social issues); a commitment that drives private sector uptake of transparent sustainability reporting and investment; and recommendations for greater coherence, efficiency, and improved co-ordination in the institutional framework for sustainable development.

Water Supply

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she plans to publish a draft bill on reform of the water industry in England and Wales; and what recent discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on this issue.

Richard Benyon: In HM the Queen's Speech it was announced that a draft Bill will be published to reform the water industry in England and Wales. It will be published before the summer recess and will be subject to pre-legislative scrutiny.
	DEFRA officials are constantly in touch with their Welsh counterparts to discuss and prepare the draft Water Bill.

Water Supply

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department have discussed levels of water pressure in each region with (i) OFWAT and (ii) water companies since May 2010; and whether she plans to do so in the next 12 months.

Richard Benyon: Ofwat is the Economic Regulator of Water and Sewerage companies in England and Wales. Since privatisation in 1989, £98 billion has been spent on securing the infrastructure of the overall network, which, among other improvements, has led to a reduction in the number of water pressure incidents and about 338,000 fewer customers being at risk of lower pressure.
	Water companies monitor the number of properties at risk of low pressure against an indicator known as DG2. The DG2 measure is 10 metres head of pressure, at the external stop tap, at a flow of nine litres per minute.
	In both 2010 and 2011 the companies reported the number of properties at risk of low pressure issues in their areas to Ofwat. Properties at risk of low pressure in 2010-11 would have been part of the information published by companies in June 2011. There were less than 3,000 properties at risk of low pressure in England and Wales.
	Information on properties identified at risk of low pressure in England and Wales by company area in 2009-10 and 2010-11 is available on each company's website.

Water Supply

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information her Department holds on steps being taken by water companies to safeguard water supplies by preventing internal leaks.

Richard Benyon: Water companies are responsible for water supply pipes up to the boundary of a customer's property. The maintenance of water supply pipes laid within a customer's property is the responsibility of the customer. All water companies offer some degree of free or subsidised repair and replacement for the section of a domestic customer's supply pipe that, in most cases, is laid between the property boundary and the customer's building. Any leaks within buildings are the responsibility of the building owner.

Water: Meters

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps water companies are taking to prevent leaks in residential properties with water meters.

Richard Benyon: Water companies are responsible for water supply pipes, up to the boundary of a customer's property. The maintenance of supply pipes laid within a customer's property is the responsibility of the customer. However, all water companies offer some degree of free or subsidised repair and replacement for domestic customer's supply pipes. Ofwat assess water company performance regarding leakage and supply pipe repair policies.
	Water companies can advise metered and unmetered customers on how to check for leaks on their pipes.

DEFENCE

Accountancy

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of staff in each of the last three years working for the Department have a recognised accountancy qualification; and how many such staff (a) have the Associate Chartered Accountant qualification and (b) are working towards a recognised accountancy qualification.

Andrew Robathan: The numbers of qualified accountants working in the Ministry of Defence (MOD) over the last three years are as follows:
	At 31 March 2010: 835
	At 31 March 2011: 885
	At 31 March 2012: 858
	The title Associated Chartered Accountant is used by qualified members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).
	Records of the individual institute qualifications held at certain points in time have not been retained for previous years but, as at 31 March 2012, there were 36 qualified accountants in the MOD holding the ICAEW qualification.
	At 31 March 2012 there were 153 accountancy trainees, none of whom are studying for the ICAEW qualification.
	Qualified accountants are those holding a full accountancy qualification (including passed finalists) that is recognised by the Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies (CCAB).

Air Force: Pay

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many RAF personnel have been required to pay back money owing to errors with their accelerated increment of pay in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Andrew Robathan: To date, one member of an RAF Trade Group has been notified of a debt which is pending recovery, relating to Accelerated Incremental Progression payments. The repayment is subject to administrative procedures and no money has yet been recovered. An investigation is currently under way to determine how many other personnel are affected and recovery action against those concerned will be suspended until the investigation is complete.
	Overpayments of salary are recovered in accordance with HM Treasury policy on Managing Public Money where possible and economic to do so. Procedures are in place to prevent financial hardship to individuals during the debt recovery process.

Armed Forces: Council Tax

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what communications his Department has had with local authorities in England on applying the 50 per cent discount in council tax to military families posted overseas who leave their UK home unoccupied; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: The administration of council tax, including making decisions regarding discounts or exemptions, is for local, not central, government. However, as part of the Armed Forces Covenant, the Department for Communities and Local Government, which holds policy responsibility for council tax, will issue a council tax information letter to all billing authorities in England, to raise awareness of the payments that service personnel and families pay in lieu of council tax when considering applications for second home discount.

Armed Forces: Olympic Games 2012

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) Territorial and (b) Regular Army personnel he proposes will be deployed for duty at the London 2012 Olympics.

Nick Harvey: Under current plans approximately 1,700 Territorial Army and 8,800 Regular Army personnel will be deployed in support of the London 2012 Olympics.

BAE Systems

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  if he will estimate the minimum number of workers required to meet the Key Industrial Capabilities as set out in section 20.1.2 of his Department's 2009 Terms of Business Agreement with BAE Systems;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the total minimum assumed man-hours capability in order to maintain Key Industrial Capabilities as set out in section 20.1.2 of his Department's 2009 Terms of Business Agreement with BAE Systems.

Peter Luff: The aim of the Terms of Business Agreement with BAE Systems Surface Ships (part of BAE Systems Maritime—Naval Ships) is to secure a long-term agreement for the design, build and support of designated complex warships and to transform the maritime industrial sector to meet the long-term needs of the Ministry of Defence (MOD).
	It is for the company to determine what Key Industrial Capabilities it needs and it would not, therefore, be appropriate for the MOD to estimate either the man hours or the number of workers required to meet this aim.

BAE Systems

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library an unredacted copy of Schedule 4 of his Department's 2009 Terms of Business Agreement with BAE Systems.

Peter Luff: I am withholding the information as its disclosure would prejudice commercial interests.

BAE Systems

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of document number (a) 24, (b) 25, (c) 26, (d) 27, (e) 28 and (f) 29 listed in schedule 9 of his Department's 2009 Terms of Business Agreement with BAE Systems.

Peter Luff: The Ministry of Defence will need to consult BAE Systems Maritime—Naval Ships to consider release of the documents requested. I will write to the hon. Member when this consultation has been completed.

Government Contracts: Party Application

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what (a) grants and (b) contracts his Department has awarded to companies or organisations run by individuals who were previously employed in any capacity by (i) the Conservative party or its elected representatives and (ii) the Liberal Democrat party or its elected representatives since May 2010; what the (A) value and (B) nature was of these contracts; and whether they were publicly advertised;
	(2)  what (a) grants and (b) contracts his Department has awarded to companies or organisations run by individuals who previously held an elected position as a member of the (i) Conservative party and (ii) Liberal Democrat party since May 2010; what the (A) value and (B) nature was of these contracts; and whether they were publicly advertised;
	(3)  which individuals have been paid by his Department for consultancy or other services who were previously employed in any capacity by the (a) Conservative party or its elected representatives and (b) Liberal Democrat party or its elected representatives since May 2010; what the (i) cost and (ii) nature was of the services provided; and whether they were publicly advertised;
	(4)  which individuals have been paid by his Department for consultancy or other services who previously held an elected position as a member of the (a) Conservative party and (b) Liberal Democrat party since May 2010; what the (i) cost and (ii) nature was of the services provided; and whether they were publicly advertised.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence does not collect information regarding suppliers’ affiliations to political parties in the awarding of contracts.
	MOD procurement policy is to buy the goods and services that it needs under fair and open procurement processes that secure value for public funds and maintain propriety and regularity in accordance with HM Treasury's Managing Public Money.

Defence

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what steps he plans to take to establish the work programme and parameters for the next strategic defence review during the current Parliament;
	(2)  when he intends to publish discussion documents relating to the questions to be dealt with in the next defence review.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 14 May 2012
	The Ministry of Defence has already taken a number of positive steps. This includes the establishment of a new Defence Strategy Group, jointly chaired by the permanent secretary and the Chief of Defence Staff, that advises me on strategic issues. The group is overseeing a two-year programme of high-level studies which, in aggregate, will lay the foundations for identifying and discussing key questions during the next review. This work is being closely co-ordinated with other Government Departments and features engagement with international partners and external academics and experts. The group's work is in its early stages, and we have no plans at present to publish any of its studies.

Defence Equipment: Scotland

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) recovery vehicles, (b) heavy equipment transports, (c) light equipment transports, (d) heavy duty utility trucks, (e) medium mobility load carriers, (f) improved medium mobility load carriers and (g) MAN support vehicles of each type are permanently based at each location in Scotland.

Peter Luff: The number of (a) recovery vehicles, (b) heavy equipment transports, (c) light equipment transports, (d) heavy duty utility trucks, (e) medium mobility load carriers, (f) improved medium mobility load carriers and (g) MAN support vehicles based at each location in Scotland, as at 1 May 2012, is provided in the following table:
	
		
			 Vehicle type Recovery vehicle Heavy equip transporter Light equip transporter Heavy duty utility trucks Medium mobility load carriers Improved medium mobility load carriers MAN support vehicles 
			 Faslane — — — — — — 6 
			 Edinburgh — — — 34 12 — 30 
			 Glasgow 1 — — 6 11 — 13 
			 Livingston — — — 1 — — — 
			 Inverness — — — 5 — — 12 
			 Strathclyde — — — 11 — — 7 
			 Lossiemouth — — — 9 — — 8 
			 Leuchars 1 — 2 17 4 — 7 
			 Arbroath — — — — 4 — 24 
			 Perth — — — 5 — — 8 
			 Stirling — — — — 17 10 75 
			 West Freugh 3 — — 39 2 8 10 
			 Total 5 0 2 127 50 18 200

Defence Equipment: Scotland

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) aircraft support vehicles, (b) Royal Maritime Auxiliary service ships, (c) fire trucks, (d) rapid intervention crash vehicles, (e) cars and (f) motorcycles of each type are permanently based at each location in Scotland.

Peter Luff: The information requested will take time to be collated.
	I will write to the hon. Member once this is completed.

Defence Equipment: Scotland

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) fast motor launch systems, (b) rigid inflatable boats, (c) rigid raising crafts, (d) landing craft and associated utility vehicles and (e) hovercraft of each type are permanently based at each location in Scotland.

Peter Luff: There are nine motor launch vessels, 26 rigid inflatable boats and eight offshore raiding crafts based at Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde. Single rigid inflatable boats are based at Greenock and at Kinloss. There are no landing craft or hovercrafts permanently based in Scotland.

Defence Equipment: Scotland

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Fleet Auxiliary (a) aviation training ships, (b) landing ships, (c) replenishment ships and (d) marine tankers of each type are permanently based at each location in Scotland.

Peter Luff: Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships do not have permanent bases, but use a combination of naval bases, which include the Scottish ammunition facilities at Crombie and Glen Mallen, and commercial ports throughout the UK, to deliver their operational programmes.

Hercules Aircraft

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the Hercules hangar capacity at RAF Brize Norton.

Peter Luff: Hangar capacity and utilisation at RAF Brize Norton are reviewed regularly to ensure that maintenance requirements can be accommodated with minimal impact to operations.

Navy: Recruitment

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make an assessment of trends in the recruitment of (a) men and (b) women in the Royal Navy over the past five years.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 14 May 2012
	There has been a downward trend in the recruitment of men and women joining the Royal Navy during this period. This is mainly due to the manpower requirement levels over the periods 2009-10 and 2010-11.

Territorial Army

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people were available for the Territorial Army in (a) 1989, (b) 1992, (c) 1997, (d) 2002 and (e) in each of the last five years; and how many such people were from the University Officer Training Corps in each such year.

Andrew Robathan: The information requested for members of the Territorial Army (TA) and the University Officer Training Corps (UOTC) is shown in the following table as at 1 April for each year:
	
		
			  1989 1992 1997 2002 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 
			 Total TA 72,490 71,330 57,620 40,900 36,790 35,020 35,320 33,130 31,420 
			 of which UOTC 2,940 3,010 4,550 4,840 5,060 4,240 4,980 4,140 4,120

Territorial Army

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) officers and (b) non-commissioned officers of the Territorial Army received the 10 year Volunteer Reserves Service Medal in each of the last five years.

Andrew Robathan: The number of officers and non-commissioned officers of the Territorial Army who have received the Volunteer Reserves Service Medal, in each of the last five years, is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Officers NCOs 
			 2007 239 838 
			 2008 309 1,041 
			 2009 420 1,063 
			 2010 246 437 
			 2011 258 480 
			 2012 to date 79 171 
			 Total 1,551 4,030

Territorial Army

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what proportion of Territorial Army soldiers other than those in the Officer Training Corps qualified for the bounty in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Andrew Robathan: Figures for the number of Territorial Army (TA) personnel who have qualified for the bounty are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, the Joint Personnel Administration System does record the number and proportion of TA personnel (excluding those in the Officer Training Corps (OTC)) that have claimed the bounty since 2009-2010 as shown in the following table:
	
		
			  2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012 
			 TA personnel in receipt of bounty payments (excluding OTC) 17,100 17,360 17,850 
			 Percentage of non-OTC TA personnel receiving bounty 57.0 61.7 66.5 
		
	
	Figures for those who claimed the bounty prior to 2009-10 are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many days were utilised for paid facility time by each trade union representative in (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies for trade union (i) duties and (ii) activities in 2011-12.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence makes certain facilities available to civilian employees who are accredited representatives or members but not paid officials of trade unions recognised by the Ministry of Defence. The amount of time off and the purposes for which it is allowed is in accordance with the ACAS code of practice on time off for trades union duties and activities.
	The Department in September 2011 had approved that 123 full-time equivalents could undertake facility time which equates to 27,060 days. This figure does not include facility time provided to the Ministry of Defence Police, Royal Fleet Auxiliary or Trading Funds. It does not include non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) who have their own agreements with the trades unions.
	We do not keep records centrally how much of this approved FT was actually used.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many meetings have taken place between (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental bodies and trade union representatives utilising paid facility time in each of the last five years to discuss (i) collective bargaining, (ii) redundancies, (iii) negotiations relating to employment, pay and conditions and (iv) other trade union and industrial relations duties; and what the dates and times were of each meeting.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence makes certain facilities available to civilian employees who are accredited representatives or members but not paid officials of trades unions recognised by the Department. The amount of time off and the purposes for which it is allowed is in accordance with the ACAS code of practice on time off for trade union duties and activities.
	MOD management at many levels meet regularly with the trade union representatives, both formally and informally. As a Department we encourage early and informal consultation and it is a key pillar of our engagement structure. The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions trade union representatives from (a) his Department and (b) each of the non-departmental public bodies have utilised paid facility time to represent an employee at a meeting or other industrial relations matter in each of the last five years.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence makes certain facilities available to civilian employees who are accredited representatives or members but not paid officials of trade unions recognised by the Ministry of Defence. The amount of time off and the purposes for which it is allowed is in accordance with the ACAS code of practice on time off for trades union duties and activities.
	Under the ACAS code of practice one of the duties of a trade union representative is to accompany members at disciplinary interviews. A member is entitled to be accompanied by a friend or a trade union representative at such meetings. The information on how many occasions this has occurred is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Energy: Billing

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his policy is on the European Parliament's proposed amendments to article 6 of the energy efficiency directive relating to the monitoring and reporting of costs passed on to consumers.

Gregory Barker: Through the energy company obligation, which will be launched in the UK later this year, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change will have powers to require the provision of detailed information on energy suppliers' delivery of the scheme, including information on costs incurred in meeting their obligations. Full details will be published in due course as part of the Government's response to the Green Deal and ECO consultation.
	Negotiations on the energy efficiency directive continue actively between the Council, Commission and European Parliament.

Energy: Meters

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the cost of electricity and gas for households with a pre-payment meter; and what representations he has received on the use of daily standing charges by energy companies for supplying utilities via a pre-payment meter.

Charles Hendry: Ofgem is responsible for regulating gas and electricity supply. Following the introduction of new rules by Ofgem in 2009 to prevent unfair price differentials, such as those between different payment methods, prepayment meter customers now pay, on average, £20 less than standard credit customers for their gas and electricity.
	Issues associated with standing charges have been raised with my Department. As part of its retail market review, Ofgem has recently consulted on proposals to simplify energy tariffs. A key proposal is to harmonise standing charges for consumers on standard tariffs (those with no end date), including those who use prepayment meters.

Natural Gas: Prices

Alec Shelbrooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether Ofgem has given any consideration to requiring gas companies to use per metric unit metered gas pricing instead of per kilowatt pricing.

Charles Hendry: The information requested is a matter for Ofgem. The chief executive of Ofgem will write to my hon. Friend directly, and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Renewable Energy: Heating

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will publish data showing the distribution of seasonal performance factors (SPFs) achieved by heat pumps on 15 April 2012 in his Department's tests of 150 installed heat pumps; and what proportion of those SPFs on that day would be high enough to qualify the heat pumps as renewable.

Gregory Barker: A true seasonal performance factor (SPF) is calculated using data collected over a year. The data we are collecting will be published as soon as a suitable amount has been collected over a period of one year and it has been thoroughly analysed.

Renewable Energy: Heating

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will create a means by which the daily achieved seasonal performance factors of the 150 installed heat pumps being tested by his Department can be monitored.

Gregory Barker: A true seasonal performance factor (SPF) is calculated using data collected over a year. However, it is possible to look at data 'live' over shorter time periods. My officials are monitoring this data on a regular basis. We will look into whether or not it is possible to create a means of making the data we are collecting available on a quasi-live basis within our resource constraints.

Renewable Energy: Heating

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what level of achieved seasonal performance factor as installed would qualify a heat pump as renewable by the European Union; and for what reason the level is set at its current point.

Gregory Barker: Annex VII of the Renewable Energy Directive (28/2009) states the requirements for a heat pump to be considered 'renewable' for the purposes of the targets established in the directive. One of the variables in this equation is the ratio between total gross production of electricity and the primary energy consumption for electricity production and is calculated as an EU average based on Eurostat data. This figure can change, meaning the acceptable minimum seasonal performance factor (SPF) for heat pumps can also change. The latest official figure gives an SPF of 2.53, an earlier figure gave an SPF of 2.9, which demonstrates it can vary by a significant amount.
	The European Commission has committed to producing more detailed guidelines on how member states are to estimate the values of SPF for the different heat pump technologies and applications, taking into consideration differences in climatic conditions, especially very cold climates. This guidance will have been produced by 1 January 2013.

Tidal Power

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had on the provision of (a) financial and (b) other support for a privately-funded tidal barrage across the Bristol Channel.

Charles Hendry: All meetings between external organisations and DECC Ministers are published quarterly on the DECC website at this link:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/accesstoinform/registers/registers.aspx

JUSTICE

Alternatives to Prison: Greater Manchester

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the answer of 31 January 2012, Official Report, column 669, on the Greater Manchester Intensive Alternative to Custody Project, when he expects to publish the results of the evaluation of the Intensive Alternative to Custody pilots for young adult offenders in Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire.

Crispin Blunt: The Intensive Alternatives to Custody (IAC) pilot programme ran from 2008-09 to 2010-11. In July 2011, the MOJ published a short report with the main findings from a range of research exploring the learning from the pilot schemes. Further process evaluations of the IAC pilot sites are currently being concluded. We are expecting to publish the results by the summer of this year.

Charles Taylor

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans his Department has made for the imprisonment of Charles Taylor.

Crispin Blunt: The United Kingdom has not yet received an application from the Special Court for Sierra Leone to imprison Charles Taylor. Should such an application be made, arrangements will be put in place similar to those made for the small number of prisoners detained in the UK on behalf of the International Criminal Court for the Former Yugoslavia. It would not be appropriate comment further on those arrangements.

Civil Proceedings

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to reform civil justice following his Department's 2011 consultation.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Government's plans for the reform of civil justice are set out in its response to the Solving Disputes consultation which was announced in a written ministerial statement on 9 February 2012, Official Report, column 31WS.
	Since then, this Department has launched an evidence gathering exercise in relation to the extension of the Road Traffic Accident Personal Injury scheme; and has published provisions to establish a single county court in the Crime and Courts Bill which was introduced in another place on 10 May 2012. In addition, the Government intends to consult on raising the small claims threshold for personal injury claims to reduce the costs of challenging fraudulent cases in court, and on tackling questionable medical evidence by considering the use of independent medical panels.

Crown Courts: Prison Sentences

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the answer of 1 May 2012, Official Report, column 1464W, on Crown Court: prison sentences, how many of the total tried were found guilty; and if he will place in the Library information on the category of crime into which each case falls.

Crispin Blunt: Pursuant to the answer given on 1 May 2012, Official Report, column 1464W, I have placed in the House Library a table giving the number of defendants tried and found guilty at the Crown court, by sentence and offence group, for all offences, England and Wales, in 2009 and 2010 (latest available).
	Annual court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication on 24 May 2012.

Cybercrime

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prosecutions have been brought in relation to e-crime in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: Information on the number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates court for offences under the Computer Misuse Act 1990 in England and Wales from 2006 to 2010 (latest available) are shown in the following table.
	Other than where specified in a statute, centrally held information does not include all the circumstances of each case. For example, a defendant may be proceeded against for offences of online theft under a number of different pieces of legislation, including, the Computer Misuse Act or the Communications Act. Data are identifiable centrally on offences committed online only in those cases where a defendant has been proceeded against under the Computer Misuse Act 1990.
	Annual court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication on 24 May.
	
		
			 Defendants p roceeded against at magistrates  court for offences under the Computer Misuse Act 1990, England and Wales, 2006-10 (1,2) 
			 Statute Section 2006 2007 20083 2009 2010 
			 Computer Misuse Act 1990 Section 1(4) 7 8 11 11 3 
			  Section 2 and 3(5) 18 11 6 8 7 
			 (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, It is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. (4) Section 1 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990 includes: Cause computer to perform function with intent to secure unauthorised access (5) Section 2 and 3 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990 includes: Obtain unauthorised access to computer material with intent/facilitate to commit offence Modify computer material without authorisation Cause computer to perform function with intent to secure/enable unauthorised access Unauthorised/reckless act with intent to impair computer operation Make/adapt/supply/obtain/offer to supply article intended to be used/to assist in commission of section 1 or 3 offence Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice

Offenders: Foreign Nationals

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many foreign national offenders there were of each nationality in the latest period for which figures are available.

Crispin Blunt: The following table shows the number of foreign national prisoners of each nationality being held in prisons in England and Wales, as at 31 March 2012. These figures are published quarterly in table 1.6 of the ‘Offender Management Statistics Quarterly Bulletin’ available at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/prisons-and-probation/oms-quarterly
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	
		
			 Population in prison, by nationality, 31 March 2012, England and Wales 
			 Nationality Total 
			 All nationalities 87,531 
			 British nationals 74,475 
			 Foreign nationals 11,127 
			 Nationality not recorded 1,929 
			   
			 Total Africa 2,517 
			 Algeria 153 
			 Angola 63 
			 Benin 6 
			 Botswana 1 
			 Burkina Faso 1 
			 Burundi 15 
			 Cameroon 32 
			 Central African Republic 13 
			 Chad 1 
			 Congo 126 
			 Egypt 25 
			 Equatorial Guinea 1 
			 Ethiopia 74 
			 Gambia 56 
			 Ghana 147 
			 Guinea 19 
			 Ivory Coast 32 
			 Kenya 65 
			 Lesotho 1 
			 Liberia 20 
			 Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 18 
			 Malawi 17 
			 Mali 1 
			 Mauritania 5 
			 Mauritius 24 
			 Morocco 55 
			 Mozambique 2 
			 Namibia 7 
			 Niger 18 
			 Nigeria 559 
			 Rwanda 17 
			 Senegal 6 
			 Seychelles 3 
			 Sierra Leone 74 
			 Somalia 418 
			 South Africa 97 
			 Sudan 49 
			 Tanzania 22 
			 Togo 4 
			 Tunisia 18 
			 Uganda 56 
			 Western Sahara 1 
			 Zambia 23 
			 Zimbabwe 172 
			   
		
	
	
		
			 Total Asia 2,233 
			 Afghanistan 175 
			 Bangladesh 242 
			 China 210 
			 India 447 
			 Japan 5 
			 Korea, DPR (North Korea) 1 
			 Korea, Republic of 5 
			 Malaysia 24 
			 Mongolia 2 
			 Myanmar 2 
			 Nepal 6 
			 Pakistan 509 
			 Philippines 22 
			 Singapore 1 
			 Sri Lanka 147 
			 Taiwan (Nationalist Chinese) 3 
			 Thailand 8 
			 Vietnam 424 
			   
			 Total Central and South America 257 
			 Argentina 3 
			 Belize 2 
			 Bolivia 9 
			 Brazil 54 
			 Chile 12 
			 Colombia 58 
			 Costa Rica 6 
			 Ecuador 16 
			 El Salvador 1 
			 French Guiana 3 
			 Guatemala 5 
			 Guyana 28 
			 Mexico 30 
			 Nicaragua 2 
			 Panama 1 
			 Paraguay 1 
			 Peru 3 
			 Suriname 3 
			 Venezuela 20 
			   
			 Total Europe 4,379 
			 Albania 182 
			 Armenia 8 
			 Austria 14 
			 Azerbaijan 5 
			 Belgium 22 
			 Bosnia and Herzegovina 14 
			 Bulgaria 54 
			 Croatia 9 
			 Cyprus 33 
			 Czech Republic 88 
			 Denmark 11 
			 Estonia 32 
			 Finland 5 
			 France 121 
			 Georgia 12 
			 Germany 71 
			 Greece 22 
			 Hungary 47 
			 Irish Republic 732 
		
	
	
		
			 Italy 89 
			 Kazakhstan 5 
			 Kyrgyzstan 2 
			 Latvia 204 
			 Lithuania 459 
			 Macedonia 5 
			 Malta 7 
			 Moldova 13 
			 Netherlands 149 
			 Norway 6 
			 Poland 780 
			 Portugal 227 
			 Romania 505 
			 Russian Federation 67 
			 Serbia and Montenegro 28 
			 Slovakia 77 
			 Slovenia 3 
			 Spain 85 
			 Sweden 18 
			 Switzerland 6 
			 Turkey 134 
			 Ukraine 25 
			 Uzbekistan 3 
			   
			 Total North America 97 
			 Canada 28 
			 United States 69 
			   
			 Total Middle East 527 
			 Iran 227 
			 Iraq 198 
			 Israel 37 
			 Jordan 2 
			 Kuwait 16 
			 Lebanon 11 
			 Qatar 2 
			 Saudi Arabia 10 
			 Syrian Arab Republic 17 
			 United Arab Emirates 2 
			 Yemen, Republic of 5 
			   
			 Total Oceania 29 
			 Australia 17 
			 Fiji 5 
			 Kiribati 1 
			 New Zealand 5 
			 Samoa 1 
			   
			 Total West Indies 1,088 
			 Antigua and Barbuda 3 
			 Bahamas 3 
			 Barbados 38 
			 Bermuda 9 
			 Cayman Islands 1 
			 Cuba 4 
			 Dominica 15 
			 Grenada 10 
			 Haiti 1 
			 Jamaica 902 
			 Montserrat 10 
		
	
	
		
			 St Kite and Nevis 5 
			 St Lucia 19 
			 St Vincent and the Grenadines 14 
			 Trinidad and Tobago 54 
			 Note: Data Sources and Quality: These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoners’ Release

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many prisoners have worked outside of prison on temporary licence in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many prisoners working outside of prison on temporary licence have breached the terms of that licence in each of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: Information is not held centrally on the number of releases on temporary licence specifically for the purposes of working outside of the prison. This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	However, the following table sets out the total number of releases on temporary licence and the number of failures to comply with the terms of those releases in the last five years for which data are available.
	
		
			  Releases on temporary licence Failures to comply 
			 2006-07 409,139 306 
			 2007-08 434,731 249 
			 2008-09 431,351 277 
			 2009-10 419,016 274 
			 2010-11 431,178 281

Prisoners: e-mail

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  with reference to the answer of 30 April 2012, Official Report, columns 1164-7W, on prisoners: e-mail, how many contacts were made through the e-mail a prisoner scheme, by prison, in each of the last three years;
	(2)  what guidance he issues on the monitoring of postal and e-mail correspondence to prisoners; and if he will place a copy of any such guidance in the Library.

Crispin Blunt: As stated in my response of 30 April 2012, Official Report, columns 1164-67W, it is not possible to provide the number of contacts each prisoner has received through the scheme as such information is not held centrally. To provide such information would require the collection of data from each prison and this could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.
	The guidance on the monitoring of communications in prisons is set out in the National Security Framework (NSF). This is Prison Service Order 1000. The NSF, which is on a website for prison staff only, sets out the priorities for prison staff on a risk based strategy. This means that category A prisoners, prisoners subject to public protection measures, such as sex offenders, and prisoners believed to be engaged in criminal activities will be subject to communications monitoring, which will include telephone calls and written correspondence including letters sent via Emailaprisoner.com. Prison Service Instruction 49 of 2011 gives further guidance to governors in relation to the level of random monitoring of prisoner communications. A copy of the instruction is in the Library of the House.

Private Prosecutions

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether defendants' costs in private prosecutions are met from public funds.

Jonathan Djanogly: Currently any defendant who has been acquitted, and had paid privately for his or her defence, may be awarded their costs from central funds. In addition, a private prosecutor may be awarded their costs from central funds in the Crown court.

Reoffenders

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the highest number was of breaches of a suspended sentence by way of a breach of community requirement or the commission of a further offence where the suspended sentence was not activated and the defendant was not sent to immediate custody in each of the last three years.

Crispin Blunt: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Information on breaches of suspended sentences by individual offenders is recorded by probation trusts on their case management systems. It is used in the day-to-day management of offenders, including as a trigger to appropriate action in response to breach, for example through formal warnings or enforcement action, but the figures requested do not form part of trusts' routine reporting.
	Trusts do record the reasons for termination of the supervision period of suspended sentence orders and these form part of the Offender Management Statistics, published by the Ministry of Justice. The latest figures cover 2011:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/prisons-and-probation/oms-quarterly
	(Offender Management Statistics, 2011 Annual Tables, probation table A4.23).
	In line with National Standards for the Management of Offenders 2011 and the accompanying draft Practice Framework, an offender who fails to comply with the terms of his or her supervision on a suspended sentence order may be given one formal warning in any 12-month period before breach action becomes required.

Reoffenders: Young Offenders

Alec Shelbrooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many additional days of imprisonment have been awarded to children in Wetherby Young Offender Institution by an outside adjudicator for breaches of prison rules in each month of the last two years;
	(2)  how many cases have been referred to an outside adjudicator for breaches of prison rules in Wetherby Young Offender Institution in each month of the last two years;
	(3)  what the ethnicity is of each child awarded additional days of imprisonment by outside adjudicators in Wetherby Young Offender Institution in each month of the last two years.

Crispin Blunt: Table 1 shows how many cases were referred to an outside adjudicator for breaches of prison rules in Wetherby under 18 Young Offender Institution in each month from January 2010 to April 2012. This includes 18-year-olds at Wetherby.
	The second table (Table 2) shows how many additional days of imprisonment were awarded to people in Wetherby under 18 Young Offender Institution by an outside adjudicator for breaches of prison rules in each month from January 2010 to April 2012. This includes 18-year-olds at Wetherby.
	The third table (Table 3) shows the ethnicity of each person awarded additional days of imprisonment by outside adjudicators in Wetherby under 18 Young Offender Institution in each month from January 2010 to April 2012. This includes 18-year-olds at Wetherby.
	This data has been provided by the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) from Wetherby under 18 Young Offender Institution (YOI).
	These figures have been drawn from YOI records, as such they are subject to possible recording errors and can be subject to change over time.
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of cases referred to an outside adjudicator for breaches of prison rules in Wetherby under 18 Young Offender Institution in each month from January 2010 to April 2012 
			  Number 
			 2010  
			 January 0 
			 February 0 
			 March 0 
			 April 0 
			 May 0 
			 June 0 
			 July 0 
			 August 0 
			 September 0 
			 October 0 
			 November 0 
			 December 0 
			 2011  
			 January 0 
			 February 0 
			 March 0 
		
	
	
		
			 April 0 
			 May 0 
			 June 0 
			 July 0 
			 August 0 
			 September 0 
			 October 2 
			 November 0 
			 December 3 
			 2012  
			 January 4 
			 February 3 
			 March 3 
			 April 6 
			 Notes: 1. This table also includes 18-year-olds at Wetherby under 18 YOI. 2. These figures have been drawn from YOI records, as such they are subject to possible recording errors and can be subject to change over time. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Number of additional days of imprisonment awarded to people in Wetherby under 18 Young Offender Institution by an outside adjudicator for breaches of prison rules in each month from January 2010 to April 2012 
			  Number 
			 2010  
			 January 0 
			 February 0 
			 March 0 
			 April 0 
			 May 0 
			 June 0 
			 July 0 
			 August 0 
			 September 0 
			 October 0 
			 November 0 
			 December 0 
			 2011  
			 January 0 
			 February 0 
			 March 0 
			 April 0 
			 May 0 
			 June 0 
			 July 0 
			 August 0 
			 September 0 
			 October 28 
			 November 0 
			 December 0 
			 2012  
			 January 0 
			 February 18 
			 March 0 
			 April 7 
			 Notes: 1. This table also includes 18-year-olds at Wetherby under 18 YOI. 2. These figures have been drawn from YOI records, as such they are subject to possible recording errors and can be subject to change over time. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table  3 :  Ethnicity of each person awarded additional days of imprisonment by outside adjudicators in Wetherby under 18 Young Offender Institution in each month from January 2010 to April 2012 
			  W1 W2 W9 M1 M2 M3 M9 A1 A2 A3 A9 B1 B2 B9 O1 O9 Total 
			 2010                  
			 January — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 February — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 March — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 April — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 May — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 June — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 July — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 August — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 September — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 October — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 November — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 December — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 2011                  
			 January — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 February — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 March — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 April — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 May — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 June — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 July — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 August — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 September — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 October — 1 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 1 
			 November — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 December — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 2012                  
			 January — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 February — — — 1 — — — — — — — — — — — — 1 
			 March — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 April 1 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 1 
			 Notes: 1. This table also includes 18-year-olds at Wetherby under 18 YOI. 2. Ethnicity key: W1: White – British W2: White – Irish W9: White - Other White M1: Mixed - White and Black Caribbean M2: Mixed - White and Black African M3: Mixed - White and Asian M9: Mixed - Other Mixed A1: Asian or Asian British - Indian A2: Asian or Asian British - Pakistani A3: Asian or Asian British - Bangladeshi A9: Asian or Asian British - Other Asian B1: Black or Black British - Caribbean B2: Black or Black British - African B9: Black or Black British - Other Black O1: Chinese - Chinese O9: Other Ethnic Group - Any Other 3. These figures have been drawn from YOI records, as such they are subject to possible recording errors and can be subject to change over time.

CABINET OFFICE

Accountancy

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many members of staff in each of the last three years working for the Department have a recognised accountancy qualification; and how many such staff (a) have the Associate Chartered Accountant qualification and (b) are working towards a recognised accountancy qualification.

Francis Maude: The Cabinet Office reports numbers of finance staff to HM Treasury as part of a yearly review of Finance Staff across Government. The reported figures for Cabinet Office, for qualified accountants, for the last three years' returns are:
	
		
			  Number 
			 2011 19 
			 2010 12 
			 2009 9 
		
	
	Details of the professional accounting bodies of which accountants are members and of the numbers studying, are not collected.

Alcoholic Drinks

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the average number of alcohol units consumed by each (a) socio-economic, (b) ethnic and (c) age group in each of the last 10 years

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 14 May 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what estimate has been made of the average number of alcohol units consumed by each (a) socio-economic, (b) ethnic and (c) age group in each of the last 10 years.
	Table 1 provides figures for (a) the average weekly alcohol units consumed by the three-class National Statistics Socio-economic Classification (NS-SEC), including sub-divisions of each class, for the years 2002, 2005 to 2006 and 2008 to 2010. Figures for the average weekly alcohol units consumed by NS-SEC for the year 2001 are not available because of occupational classification changes. Figures for the years 2003, 2004 and 2007 were not routinely reported and so could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.
	Figures for (b) the average number of alcohol units consumed by ethnic group are not reported, since small sample sizes in the underlying data would render the results unreliable.
	Table 2 provides figures for (c) the average weekly alcohol units consumed by age group for the years 2001, 2002 and 2005 to 2010. Figures for the years 2003 to 2004 were not routinely reported and so could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.
	Figures for average alcohol consumption in 2011 and 2012 are not yet available. Figures for 2011 are expected to be published in January 2013.
	The General Lifestyle Survey drinking statistics are based on information provided by respondents aged 16 and over living in private households in Great Britain. The survey defines an adult as someone aged 16 years and over. A unit of alcohol is defined as 10 ml of pure ethanol. This is equivalent to a standard measure of spirits (25ml at 40% Alcohol by Volume (ABV)).
	The latest published figures on average alcohol consumption in Great Britain are included in the General Lifestyle Survey Overview Report, available on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/ghs/general-lifestyle-survey/2010/index.html
	It is important to note that social surveys consistently record lower levels of consumption than would be expected from HMRC data on alcohol sales. This may be due to underreporting of alcohol consumption by respondents. There was also a methodological change introduced in 2006 which modified the approach to derivation of units of alcohol from Alcohol by volume assumptions about certain drinks sold on licensed and Off-license premises, and also assumptions about wine glass sizes. These changes were estimated to result in an increase in average alcohol consumption by approximately a third compared with the derivations based on the older methodology.
	
		
			 Table 1. Average weekly alcohol consumption (units), by sex and socioeconomic class based on the current or last job of the household reference person 2002, 2005-2006 and 2008-2010, Great Britain  (1, ) (2,) () (3,) () (4,) () (5) 
			 Socio-economic classification of household reference person 2002 2005 2006 2006 (new method) 2008 2009 2010 
			 Men        
			 Managerial and professional 17.3 15.7 14.9 19.8 17.7 17.5 16.8 
			 Large employer and higher managerial 19.9 16.5 13.2 22.9 19.3 19.9 19.3 
			 Higher professional 15.7 14.4 14.9 17.8 16.6 17.3 16.4 
			 Lower managerial and professional 17.3 16.0 15.2 19.6 17.7 17.0 16.3 
			         
			 Intermediate 17.9 16.8 16.1 19.9 17.2 15.8 15.6 
			 Intermediate 17.3 14.2 16.7 19.3 16.2 15.0 14.8 
			 Small employers/own account workers 18.3 18.4 14.4 20.4 17.9 16.3 16.1 
			         
			 Routine and manual 16.8 15.4 14.1 16.7 15.5 15.4 15.4 
			 Lower supervisory and technical 18.5 15.9 13.4 17.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 
			 Semi-routine 16.2 13.9 14.5 16.0 15.1 14.9 16.7 
			 Routine 15.5 16.2 8.9 17.0 15.9 15.9 13.9 
			 Total 17.2 15.8 14.8 18.7 16.6 16.3 15.9 
			         
			 Women        
			 Managerial and professional 8.3 7.2 7.0 10.7 10.2 9.7 9.2 
			 Large employer and higher managerial 9.4 8.0 7.3 12.5 11.6 11.7 11.2 
			 Higher professional 8.3 7.6 6.6 11.2 10.3 9.8 10.0 
			 Lower managerial and professional 8.1 6.9 5.6 9.9 9.8 9.2 8.5 
			         
			 Intermediate 7.5 6.7 6.2 9.1 7.6 7.8 7.2 
			 Intermediate 7.1 6.0 6.9 8.3 6.6 6.8 6.7 
			 Small employers/own account workers 8.0 7.3 5.8 10.1 8.7 9.1 7.9 
			         
			 Routine and manual 6.5 5.4 5.3 7.1 6.5 6.6 6.2 
			 Lower supervisory and technical 7.6 5.9 5.5 7.9 7.0 7.1 7.5 
			 Semi-routine 6.9 5.8 4.7 7.5 6.5 6.7 6.1 
		
	
	
		
			 Routine 5.2 4.6 4.6 6.1 5.9 6.1 5.2 
			 Total 7.6 6.5 6.2 9.0 8.2 8.0 7.6 
			         
			 All Persons        
			 Managerial and professional 12.7 11.3 10.8 15.1 13.8 13.5 12.9 
			 Large employer and higher managerial 14.7 12.3 10.4 17.6 15.5 15.7 15.2 
			 Higher professional 12.3 11.1 10.5 14.6 13.6 13.8 13.4 
			 Lower managerial and professional 12.4 11.1 9.2 14.4 13.4 12.8 12.1 
			         
			 Intermediate 12.2 11.2 10.6 14.0 11.9 11.4 11.0 
			 Intermediate 10.9 9.1 11.9 12.5 10.3 9.8 9.8 
			 Small employers/own account workers 13.3 12.9 10.2 15.3 13.4 12.7 12.1 
			         
			 Routine and manual 11.3 10.0 9.4 11.6 10.6 10.7 10.5 
			 Lower supervisory and technical 13.1 11.1 8.7 12.7 11.2 11,4 11.7 
			 Semi-routine 10.8 9.2 9.3 11.0 10.0 10.1 10.4 
			 Routine 10.0 10.0 6.3 11.2 10.7 10.7 9.5 
			 Total 12.1 10.8 10.2 13.5 12.1 11.9 11.5 
			 (1) Data for 2005 includes data for the last quarter of 2004/5 due to survey change from financial year to calendar year. (2) Results from 2006 include longitudinal data. (3) Full-time students, members of the Armed Forces, the long-term unemployed and those who have never worked are not shown as separate categories but are included in the totals. (4) Figures for 2006 onwards were produced using the updated methodology for converting volumes of alcohol to units assuming an average wine glass size: This change in method, applied from 2006 increases the average weekly alcohol consumption by approximately one-third. This increase is also proportionally greater for women due to differences between men and women in the types of drinks consumed. Figures for 2006 using both the original and new methods are presented here for comparison purposes. (5) Figures for 2008-2010 were produced using the updated methodology including data on wine glass size. Source: General Lifestyle Survey, Office for National Statistics 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2. Average weekly alcohol consumption (units) in Great Britain, by sex and age: 2001-2002 and 2005-2010, Great Britain (1,) () (2,) () (3,) () (4) 
			 Persons aged 16 and over 
			  2000 2001 2002 2005 2006 2006 (new method) 2008 2009 2010 
			 Men          
			 16-24 25.9 24.8 21.5 18.2 16.4 18.6 16.3 14.8 14.1 
			 25-44 17.7 18.4 18.7 16.2 15.6 19.7 16.8 16.4 16.6 
			 45-64 16.8 16.1 17.5 17.7 16.0 20.8 18.7 18.7 17.8 
			 65 and over 11.0 10.8 10.7 10.4 10.4 13.5 13.2 12.7 12.5 
			 Total 17.4 17.2 17.2 15.8 14.8 18.7 16.6 16.3 15.9 
			           
			 Women          
			 16-24 12.6 14.1 14.1 10.9 9.0 10.8 10.3 10.3 8.4 
			 25-44 8.1 8.3 8.4 7.1 6.8 10.1 9.6 8.7 8.1 
			 45-64 6.2 6.8 6.7 6.3 6.2 9.8 9.0 8.9 8.8 
			 65 and over 3.5 3.6 3.8 3.5 3.5 5.1 4.7 4.6 4.6 
			 Total 7.1 7.5 7.6 6.5 6.2 9.0 8.4 8.0 7.6 
			           
			 All persons          
			 16-24 19.3 19.4 17.6 14.3 12.5 14.6 13.1 12.5 11.1 
			 25-44 12.9 13.3 13.3 11.3 11.0 14.6 12.9 12.3 12.2 
			 45-64 11.4 11.3 11.9 11.7 10.9 15.0 13.6 13.6 13.1 
		
	
	
		
			 65 and over 6.7 6.6 6.8 6.5 6.5 8.7 8.5 8.2 8.1 
			 Total 12.0 12.1 12.1 10.8 10.2 13.5 12.2 11.9 11.5 
			 (1) Data for 2005 includes data for the last quarter of 2004/5 due to survey change from financial year to calendar year. (2) Figures from 2006 were produced using the updated methodology for converting volumes of alcohol to units assuming an average wine glass size; This change increases the average weekly alcohol consumption by approximately one-third. This increase is also proportionally greater for women due to differences between men and women in the types of drinks consumed. Figures for 2006 using both the original and new methods are presented here for comparison purposes. (3) Results from 2006 onwards include longitudinal data. (4) Figures for 2008 - 2010 were produced using the updated methodology including data on wine glass size. Source: General Lifestyle Survey, Office for National Statistics

Charities

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many charitable trusts and foundations were investigated by the Charity Commission for having made insufficient payouts in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Charity Commission. I have asked the Commission's chief executive to reply.
	Letter from Sam Younger, dated 16 May 2012
	.
	Our investigations examine the application of charitable funds in a wide variety of contexts and we do not monitor the issue separately. In the majority of cases, it is interconnected with other regulatory concerns.
	In 2008, we examined and published a report on 12 linked cases involving financial institutions which had established charitable trusts as part of securitisation schemes. Other than these, we are not able manually to identify investigations over this period where the amount or proportion of funds that was applied directly to charitable activity was the sole or principal regulatory concern.
	Trustees are responsible for all aspects of the administration of a charity and must ensure that charitable funds are spent for the purposes for which they were raised and for the benefit of the public at large. There is no fixed definition of what constitutes an insufficient payout. For example, it is sometimes acceptable for a charity to spend nothing on charitable activity for a period provided it has a well-founded plan for raising funds and carrying out charitable work.

Charity Commission

Stuart Andrew: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  how much the Charity Commission spent on (a) conferences, (b) staff away days and (c) sports events in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12;
	(2)  how much the Charity Commission spent on items branded with its logo in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12;
	(3)  how much the Charity Commission spent on (a) furniture and (b) artwork in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12;
	(4)  how much the Charity Commission spent on (a) hotel accommodation and (b) hotel room hire in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12;
	(5)  how much the Charity Commission spent on (a) first, (b) Club or business and (c) economy class air travel in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12;
	(6)  how much (a) members of the Board and (b) senior executives of the Charity Commission incurred in expenses in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Charity Commission. I have asked the Commission's Head of Corporate Services to reply.
	Letter from Nick Allaway, dated 14 May 2012
	I have been asked to reply to your questions about Charity Commission expenditure.
	How much the Charity Commission spent on (a) conferences, (b) staff away days and (c) sports events in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12.
	We do not hold separate information for conferences prior to 2010-11 or for staff away days. We have provided estimated costs for our annual internal sports day.
	
		
			 £ 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 (a) attending conferences and seminars n/a 19,340 13,554 
			 (b) staff away days n/a n/a n/a 
			 (c) sports events (1)300 (1)300 (1)300 
			 n/a = Not available. (1) Approximately. 
		
	
	How much the Charity Commission spent on items branded with its logo in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12.
	These figures include specific items such as business cards, one-off flyers promoting events and banners for use at these events.
	
		
			 £ 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Branded items 3,438 489 196 
		
	
	How much the Charity Commission spent on (a) furniture and (b) artwork in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12.
	In this period our London office moved premises.
	
		
			 £ 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 (a) furniture and fittings 32,299 48,623 0 
			 (b) artwork 0 0 0 
		
	
	How much the Charity Commission spent on (a) hotel accommodation and (b) hotel room hire in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12.
	The Commission has four offices in Liverpool, London, Newport and Taunton and most of these costs reflect staff travel between our sites.
	We do not hold separate information for rooms hired in hotels.
	
		
			 £ 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 (a) hotel accommodation 171,162 88,417 68,414 
			 (b) hotel room hire n/a n/a n/a 
			 n/a = Not available. 
		
	
	How much the Charity Commission spent on (a) first, (b) Club or business and (c) economy class air travel in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12.
	
		
			 £ 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 (a) first 0 0 0 
			 (b) Club or business 0 0 0 
			 (c) economy 5,028 5,241 2,977 
		
	
	How much (a) members of the Board and (b) senior executives of the Charity Commission incurred in expenses in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12.
	Board expenses are published in our resource accounts on our website:
	http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/About_us/About_the_Commission/annualreps.aspx
	Senior executive costs from January 2011 relate to a Senior Management Team of 13 people which replaced a team of four executive directors. This followed a restructure as part of our strategic review. Expenses have fallen since the restructure despite the expansion in senior executive numbers.
	
		
			 £ 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 (a) Board expenses 33,933 28,650 17,512 
			 (b) senior executive expenses 22,371 26,769 12,891 
			 Total 56,304 55,419 30,403 
		
	
	I hope this information is helpful.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Steven Baker: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether his Department's selection criteria under the Major Project Authority applied to the Department for Transport's High Speed 2 proposals; and which such criteria applied.

Francis Maude: The Major Projects Authority's definition of a Major Project is “a central Government funded project or programme that requires HM Treasury approval during its life, as set out in Delegated Authority letters”.
	This definition is set out in the MPA's assurance and approval guidance, available online at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/sites/default/files/resources/major-project-approvals-assurance-guidance.pdf
	High Speed 2 falls within this definition as it requires HMT approval, as set out in Delegated Authority letters between HM Treasury and the Department for Transport.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which individuals produced the Major Projects Authority's report on the Department for Transport's HS2 proposals; and what their areas of expertise were.

Francis Maude: All three individuals on the HS2 review team were independent of the project. They were accredited reviewers, experienced in infrastructure, transport and complex project delivery.
	We do not make public names of individual reviewers.

Job Creation: Hyndburn

Graham Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many private sector jobs were created in Hyndburn constituency between (a) May 2005 and May 2009 and (b) June 2009 and May 2012.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated May 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question how many private sector jobs were created in Hyndburn constituency between (a) May 2005 and May 2009 and (b) June 2009 and May 2012. (107658)
	Estimates of new jobs created are not available. Whilst information is available for net changes in level, it partially reflects jobs lost, partially reflects people who have been recruited into existing jobs that were vacant. Consequently these statistics do not give any useful information regarding the actual level of new job creation.
	Annex A
	
		
			 Regional public sector employment as a proportion of the total number of employees (1,2,3,4) 
			  Headcount, percentage, not seasonally adjusted 
			  All employees 
			  England Wales Scotland (5) Northern Ireland (6) 
			 2008 19 6 25.4 23,5 29.3 
			 2009 21.0 27.1 25.4 31.3 
			 2010 20.8 26.7 25.4 29.9 
			 2011 20.0 25.9 24.0 28.5 
			 (1) Annual figures relate to June quarter (Q2). (2) Estimates are based on where people are employed. (3) Northern Rock classified to the public sector from 9 October 2007. Bradford and Bingley classified to public sector from 26 September 2008. Royal Bank of Scotland Group and Lloyds Banking Group classified to public sector from 13 October 2008. (4) Figures use Labour Force Survey—All in employment aged 16 and over as a denominator. Data refer to May-July. (5) Estimates of public sector employment for Scotland are supplied by Scottish Government. (6) Estimates of public sector employment for Northern Ireland will differ to those published by DFPNI. The ONS figures include HM Forces personnel. These ONS figures also use Labour Force Survey employment as a denominator as opposed to the Quarterly Employment Surrey employee estimate used by DFPNI. Source: Office for National Statistics

Major Projects Authority

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which projects reviewed by the Major Projects Authority have been (a) terminated and (b) re-scoped as a result.

Francis Maude: The Major Projects Authority (MPA) was set up to address the situation we saw in the past when huge amounts of taxpayers' money was squandered on projects that failed to stick to budget or time.
	The authority supports Departments to improve the outcome of Government's major projects to assure value for money for the taxpayer and better services for users. The final responsibility and accountability for delivery of major projects rests with Departments.
	The MPA reviewed around 180 major, projects last year. Two projects have since been terminated, and one project's core contract has been terminated. Many reviews included recommendations which required a degree of re-scoping. This is an indication that the MPA is working effectively.

Major Projects Authority

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which projects reviewed by the Major Projects Authority have been classified as (a) green, (b) amber/green, (c) amber, (d) amber/red and (e) red.

Francis Maude: The Major Projects Authority will publish an annual report by the summer, in which some further information will be included on each project.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Africa

Anna Soubry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government are taking to ensure that the G8 successfully tackles malnutrition in Africa.

Andrew Mitchell: My officials have been working closely with other G8 members to set out plans for food and nutrition security, building on commitments made at L'Aquila in 2009. These include support to the Scaling-Up Nutrition (SUN) movement, and nutrition programmes for pregnant women and children in the critical 1,000 days from conception. UK support to the SUN movement has generated rapid and significant political commitment to tackle undernutrition globally.
	The UK also supports G8 plans for the accelerated release, adoption and consumption of bio-fortified crops and technologies to improve the nutritional quality of food in Africa. G8 members are likely to agree to do more to improve nutrition policies and to support the efforts of African institutions, civil society and private sector partners to establish regional nutritional learning centres to better develop the evidence and capacity to tackle hunger in Africa.
	The UK is already committed to improve the nutrition of 20 million children under five years of age from 2011-15. I believe that collectively we—the G8—can and should do more to tackle the crisis of malnutrition in developing countries. I will be attending the food security symposium, organised around the G8 summit, to demonstrate strong UK backing for tackling undernutrition and to push for more collective action on this important issue globally, and for Africa in particular.

Africa

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on steps to tackle malnutrition in Africa.

Andrew Mitchell: The coalition Government have dedicated significant extra resources to improve nutrition in Africa, under our strategy to tackle under-nutrition in developing countries. My Department is working closely with the United States, European Commission, Ireland and Canada to support the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) movement, which has secured the commitment of 20 African countries. In addition to direct aid on nutrition such as providing 700,000 Zambian children with micro nutrient powders, we are supporting partner governments in Africa to strengthen their approaches. We are also co-ordinating other donors behind national strategies. For example, in Zambia the UK is working with other donors such as Irish Aid to support the national programme, and in Nigeria the UK is taking on the role of donor convenor for nutrition. We are also working with other G8 and G20 members to improve the global food system, especially in tackling the impact of price volatility, and with donors such as the Gates Foundation and the World Health Organisation to ensure that evidence gaps are filled.
	To help avoid the cycle of food crises in Africa, the UK is playing a leading role in an international effort to effort to reduce countries' and communities' resilience to shocks. At times of particular need such as the Horn and Sahel food crises, I press donor governments and multilateral organisations for a more timely and proportionate response. I have had regular discussions with my counterparts in the United States and European governments, including on preventing and treating acute malnutrition.

Developing Countries: Malnutrition

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he plans to take to encourage G8 countries to tackle malnutrition and growth stunting in developing countries.

Andrew Mitchell: My officials have been working closely with other G8 members to set out plans for food and nutrition security, building on commitments made at L'Aquila in 2009. These include support to the Scaling-Up Nutrition (SUN) movement, and nutrition programmes for pregnant women and children in the critical 1,000 days from conception. UK support to the SUN movement has generated rapid and significant political commitment to tackle under-nutrition globally.
	The UK also supports G8 plans for the accelerated release, adoption and consumption of bio-fortified crops and technologies to improve the nutritional quality of food. G8 members are likely to agree to do more to improve nutrition policies and to support the efforts, of African institutions, civil society and private sector partners to establish regional nutritional learning centres to better develop the evidence and capacity to tackle hunger.
	The UK is already committed to improve the nutrition of 20 million children under five years of age from 2011-15. I believe that collectively we—the G8—can and should do more to tackle the crisis of malnutrition in developing countries. I will be attending the food security symposium, organised around the G8 summit, to demonstrate strong UK backing for tackling under-nutrition and to push for more collective action on this important issue.

Eritrea

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation in Eritrea; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Mitchell: Eritrea, like other countries in the region, is affected by chronic food insecurity. The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is reporting exceptional shortfalls in food production and supply, and estimates that 65% of the population is undernourished. Eritrea was ranked the third worst country in the world for food security in the Global Hunger Index in 2010 and 2011.
	The Government of Eritrea deny that there are food shortages in the country, although it accepts there is poverty and need for development. The UK will continue to engage in Eritrea through our UN partners. This year UK aid will improve nutrition for 60,000 children, provide 40,000 people with access to clean water supplies, and help 37,000 households to construct their own toilets.

India

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department has provided any funding to the Indian space programme.

Andrew Mitchell: No.

Overseas Aid

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to ensure UK aid spent through the EU contributes to the Government's priorities of poverty reduction and working with poor countries and poor people.

Stephen O'Brien: The DFID multilateral aid review called for European Union (EU) aid to be more poverty and results focused. Ministers are committed to ensuring that EU aid attains the same standards of high quality and effectiveness of UK bilateral aid programmes, as set out in the bilateral aid review. We have already made demonstrable progress. As a result of UK pressure, the EU is reviewing its entire approach to aid: cutting funding to countries that do not need it, refocusing its aid on results and ensuring much greater transparency, value for money and accountability.
	In the current negotiations on the EU budget for the period 2014-20, the UK is pressing to re-write EU rules so that aid is focused on results and value for money instead of financial inputs. We are supporting the European Commission's proposals for the EU to concentrate its efforts on a limited number of sectors in each partner country and base support closely on countries' own priorities in order to ensure effectiveness.

Overseas Aid

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to ensure any lessons learnt from the bilateral aid review and multilateral aid review are used to inform EU aid policy.

Stephen O'Brien: The DFID multilateral aid review, published in 2011, called for EU aid to be more transparent and flexible, with allocations to countries based upon need and a clearer focus on achieving results and demonstrating value for money. Ministers are committed to ensuring that EU aid attains the same standards of high quality and effectiveness of UK bilateral aid programmes, as set out in the bilateral aid review.
	In the current negotiations over the next EU budget for 2014-20, we are pressing to re-write EU rules so that all future EU aid programmes are more clearly focused on results and value for money. The coalition Government is also fighting hard to ensure that future EU aid programmes have a clear poverty-focus, are only allocated to countries where it is needed most and to protect aid to small vulnerable Commonwealth countries. As a result of concerted UK pressure, the EU is currently reviewing key aspects of its entire approach to aid; this includes cutting funding to countries that don't need it, such as some middle-income countries in Latin America; working on the design of a new results framework; and taking necessary steps to ensure much greater transparency and accountability in future.

Risk Assessment

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what strategic or transitional risk registers in each area of policy are held by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Duncan: DFID manage risk through a hierarchy of risk registers. Strategic risks are managed via a board level corporate risk register. This is supported by tactical level risk registers which are-produced for all DFID departments as part of the operational planning process. At project level, risk registers are produced in accordance with DFID's business case process.

Sick Leave

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many days of sick leave were taken by staff in his Department in each of the last three years.

Alan Duncan: The number of days' sick leave, taken by home civil service (HCS) staff in DFID, in each of the last three years, are as follows:
	2009—9,098 days, at an average of 4.9 working days per HCS employee
	2010—9,881 days, at an average of 5.2 working days per HCS employee
	2011—9,142 days, at an average of 4.7 working days per HCS employee

Southern Sudan

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether Ministers or officials in his Department have had discussions with their counterparts in the government of the Republic of South Sudan on their reintegration plan for returnees from Sudan and its potential effect on food security.

Stephen O'Brien: I raised the issue of returnees with the Government of South Sudan when I visited the country last month. I conveyed a clear message that the Government of South Sudan must take responsibility for supporting the return and reintegration of its citizens. Access to land, both for housing and farming, is a key area of concern. I have also discussed the risks associated with the broader food security situation in the country with the Government. Because of a poor harvest in 2011, conflict and rising prices, it is estimated that this year 1.3 million people—both resident and returnees—will face severe food insecurity, and 3.7 million will face borderline food insecurity. Last month DFID announced support through World Food Programme to help provide food assistance for 100,000 people affected by severe food insecurity.

Syria

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development in determining with partners the appropriate proportions of UK aid to be allocated to each country and to assist people fleeing Syria, what account he takes of the number (a) awaiting UNHCR registration and (b) identified by local organisations as being in need of assistance in the host country concerned; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Duncan: UK humanitarian funding is allocated according to assessed humanitarian needs.
	The UK is a major funder of United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) providing substantial core funding to support it to work with refugees all over the world. In addition the UK has provided specific funding for refugees from Syria, channelled through the UNHCR and to the UN Emergency Response Fund. Our contribution is not earmarked to specific countries. This allows UNHCR and UN agencies to work with local partners to allocate UK funding flexibly to respond to a rapidly changing situation in order to ensure aid reaches those who need it most.
	This is a very complex refugee situation. Not all Syrians outside Syria are, or would want to be, registered as refugees. For this reason our funding is being delivered flexibly to agencies working on the ground to ensure it is allocated to those most in need.

International Watercourses

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the Government intends that the UK will accede to the UN convention on non-navigational uses of international watercourses.

Stephen O'Brien: The UN Convention on the Non-navigational Uses of International Watercourses (the Convention) was adopted in 1997. The UK was a sponsoring partner, but has yet to accede. The Convention provides a framework for the management of transboundary waters. The principles in the Convention are acknowledged as being valuable and important and have been widely used despite not entering into force.
	To date, the 1997 UN Convention on the Non-Navigational Uses of Watercourses has not entered into force as too few countries have either ratified or acceded to this Convention. The UK has not ratified nor acceded to the Convention and has no intention to do so at this time.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Bangladesh

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what meetings he has had with representatives of the Government of Bangladesh on disappearances in that country.

Alistair Burt: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs most recently raised our concerns about democracy and human rights in Bangladesh when he met the Bangladesh Foreign Minister on 16 April.
	Our high commission in Bangladesh also raises our concerns at alleged human rights violations, including disappearances, with the Government.
	In a press conference on Wednesday 9 May, our high commissioner in Bangladesh and ambassadors of eight other European countries, called on the Bangladesh authorities to conduct thorough investigations into disappearances and killings.

Bangladesh

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had any meetings with representatives of the government of Bangladesh regarding the disappearance of M. Ilyas Ali.

Alistair Burt: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has not had any meetings with the Government of Bangladesh about the disappearance of Mr Elias Ali, but raised our interest in democracy and human rights in Bangladesh when he met the Bangladesh Foreign Minister on 16 April.
	We are concerned about the disappearance of Mr Elias Ali. The British high commission in Dhaka is in regular contact with members of the Government and the Bangladesh Nationalist party. In a press conference on Wednesday 9 May, our high commissioner to Bangladesh, and ambassadors of eight other European countries called on the Bangladesh authorities to conduct thorough investigations into disappearances, including that of Mr Ali.
	We continue to urge the Bangladeshi authorities to do all they can to locate Mr Ali and to investigate the circumstances of his disappearance.

Guided Weapons

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of whether the Storm Shadow missile made by MBDA Missile Systems falls within the scope of the Missile Technology Control Regime; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: Assessment of the Storm Shadow missile is made by the Export Control Organisation within the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and by Government officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Ministry of Defence that work on export licensing and the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).
	Storm Shadow is a complete rocket system which falls within the definitions set out in the MTCR guidelines, and its export is therefore assessed as being controlled under the MTCR.

Israel

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he (a) has had and (b) plans to have with ministerial colleagues on the export of armoured and other demolition vehicles to Israel which may be used to carry out demolitions in the occupied territories.

Alistair Burt: There have been no recent ministerial discussions on exports to Israel and none are planned. Heavy equipment used in the construction industry is often not military rated and may therefore not require an export licence. Where such equipment is licensable, the Government policy on the export of UK controlled military goods to all destinations is based on the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. All applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis, against the Consolidated Criteria, taking into account the circumstances prevailing at the time of the application and the stated end user and end use. The criteria make clear that the Government will not approve the export of controlled military goods where there is a clear risk that the proposed export might be used for internal repression. Ministers have oversight of the export licensing process and are involved in decision making with finely balanced applications. We have no records of any licensable exports of armoured demolition vehicles or plant vehicles to Israel.

Israel

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of whether the conditions experienced by Israeli-held prisoners are in accord with (a) Articles 76 and 32 and (b) other provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention concerning the protection of civilians in times of war; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We continue to have concerns about the situation of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention. These concerns include, but are not limited to: allegations of mistreatment during arrest and in Israeli prisons, widespread use of administrative detention by the Israeli authorities, frequent restrictions on family visits and on access to lawyers and the use of secret evidence before the military courts and routine detention of Palestinians from the West Bank in prison inside Israel, in contravention of the Geneva Convention.
	We raise these concerns regularly with the Israeli authorities. UK officials attend military court hearings as part of an EU team monitoring cases of Palestinians identified as human rights defenders. The UK Government has previously provided practical assistance such as helping ensure that detainees were represented by Palestinian lawyers trained in Israeli military law.

Israel

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the Israeli prison practise of sunduq punishment; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We are aware of some reports of Sunduq punishment being used in Israeli prisons. We have not raised this specific issue with the Israeli authorities but will do so as part of our broader work on the rights of prisoners held in Israeli prisons.
	We continue to raise our concerns with the Israeli authorities over the use of a dual court system whereby Palestinians, except East Jerusalem residents, are subject to the Israeli military court system, irrespective of the charge, whereas Israeli settlers are dealt with by the Israeli civil justice system.
	We regularly encourage the Israeli authorities to comply with their obligations under international law, including in their policies on detention and the treatment of Palestinian prisoners.

Israel

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the EU not to renew Israel's special trading status in view of its continued occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem in contravention of UN Resolutions; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We support closer ties between Israel and the international community, including the EU. We do not believe that the isolation of Israel is the way to achieve the positive steps that we would like to see towards a two-state solution.
	At the same time progress towards a two-state solution is a key element of the relationship between the EU and Israel. The EU has been very clear that no progress can be made on upgrading the wider EU-Israel relationship until there is substantial progress towards a two-state solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict. This is a position the UK supports.

Israel: Palestinians

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to investigate reports of the use of British equipment in the demolition of Palestinian homes and other buildings in Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Alistair Burt: We are concerned about the threatened and actual demolition of Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. We are urging Israel to desist from the demolitions and evictions, which we consider to be contrary to Israel's obligations under international humanitarian law; harmful to the peace process; as well as causing unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians.
	We are aware of reports that equipment manufactured by a British construction equipment company may have been used in demolitions. Officials from the British embassy in Tel Aviv lobbied the Jerusalem municipality on 21 February and were told that the Municipality had no plans to conduct wide-scale demolitions in the immediate future, which is welcome. We have no records of any licensable exports of armoured demolition vehicles or plant vehicles to Israel.

Israel: Palestinians

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information his Department holds on the number of Palestinian prisoners that have been tried before Israeli military courts in the last 10 years.

Alistair Burt: We do not have figures available on the number of Palestinian prisoners that have been tried before the Israeli military courts.
	We continue to raise our concerns with the Israeli authorities over the use of a dual court system whereby Palestinians, except East Jerusalem residents, are subject to the Israeli military court system, irrespective of the charge, whereas Israeli settlers are dealt with by the Israeli civil justice system.

Israel: Palestinians

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Israeli authorities on the possible demolition of EU-funded buildings at Khan al-Ahmar in the Palestinian territories.

Alistair Burt: We have repeatedly made clear to the Israelis our serious concern at the 40% increase last year in demolitions of Palestinian properties in the west bank and East Jerusalem, as recorded by the UN. We view such demolitions and evictions as causing unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians; as harmful to the peace process; and, in all but the most limited circumstances, as contrary to international humanitarian law.
	I visited several buildings, including the school at Khan al-Ahmar, subject to demolition orders during my visit to the Occupied Palestinian Territories in January and subsequently discussed this issue with the Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister on 9 January and the Israeli Deputy Prime Minister on 19 March.
	Officials from the British embassy in Tel Aviv also raised our concerns about the issue of demolitions at a senior level with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 8 May.

Israel: Palestinians

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department plans to take to help ensure Palestinians' access to clean water and sanitation.

Alistair Burt: The fair and effective distribution of shared water resources across the middle east is of great concern to the UK.
	The British Government has had detailed discussions with both Israeli and Palestinian authorities on the issue of water supply policies.
	The UK is funding a project working with Palestinians and Israelis to help improve co-operation on water issues to the benefit of both parties.

Israel: Palestinians

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the number of Gazans dependent on food aid.

Alistair Burt: According to the latest figures (June 2011) from the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 66% of Gazans depend either entirely or partly on food aid.
	Over the next four years, the UK will provide annually food vouchers to 5,750 poor households and temporary work opportunities to 5,300 vulnerable refugees to enable them to meet their basic food needs.
	We continue to call on the Israeli Government to ease movement and access restrictions to enable the rebuilding of the Gazan economy and to reduce aid dependency.

Israel: Palestinians

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made on the opening of crossings into Gaza.

Alistair Burt: We are clear that Israeli restrictions on movements of goods and people do serious damage to the economy and living standards of ordinary people in Gaza. The current situation fosters radicalisation and empowers Hamas. An improved economy is not only essential for the people of Gaza, but firmly in Israel's security interests. In close co-ordination with our EU partners and the Office of the Quartet Representation, we continue to press the Israeli Government at ministerial and official level to ease access restrictions.
	I most recently raised this issue with Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Ayalon on 18 January. Our ambassador to Israel also raised the issue with Prime Minister Netanyahu's Chief Negotiator, Yitzhak Molcho, and the Israeli Co-ordinator of Government Activity in the Territories, General Dangot, in March.

Israel: Palestinians

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he plans to visit Palestine to assess the humanitarian situation.

Alistair Burt: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has no immediate plans to visit the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
	We maintain a regular schedule of ministerial visits to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including to assess the humanitarian situation. I last visited in January this year. The Secretary of State for International Development also visited in December.

Risk Assessment

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what strategic or transitional risk registers in each area of policy are held by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: Risks are identified, assessed and managed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's global network of Posts and by Directorates in London. Risk registers are recorded in individual Directorate and Post Business Plans. The most significant risks are included in the Departmental Top Risks Register which is reviewed monthly by the Board of Management.

United Arab Emirates

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the government of the United Arab Emirates on the hunger strike of Peter Margetts in Dubai Central Jail.

Alistair Burt: Embassy officials have been in regular contact with the United Arab Emirates authorities regarding Mr Margetts' hunger strike. They have promised to keep us updated on any developments.

TREASURY

Accountancy

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many members of staff in each of the last three years working for the Department have a recognised accountancy qualification; and how many such staff (a) have the Associate Chartered Accountant qualification and (b) are working towards a recognised accountancy qualification.

Chloe Smith: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  As at September: 
			  2009 2010 2011 
			 ACA(1) (Institute of Chartered Accounts in England and Wales) 15 13 16 
			 Other qualified 34 28 28 
			 Trainees 40 44 36 
			 Total 89 85 80 
			 (1) Includes those who have attained fellowship (FCA).

Alcoholic Drinks: Prices

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has made an estimate of the effect of minimum pricing of alcohol on the value of duty on alcohol lost to HM revenue and Customs due to smuggling.

Chloe Smith: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Altrincham and Sale West (Mr Brady) on 16 April 2012, Official Report, column 143W.

Alcoholic Drinks: Prices

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the potential effects of minimum unit pricing of alcohol on the (a) turnover and profit of (i) producers and (ii) retailers and (b) revenue raised by HM Revenue and Customs.

Chloe Smith: The effects of alcohol minimum unit pricing on alcohol producers' and retailers' turnover as well as on the revenue raised by HM Revenue and Customs will be driven by the level of per unit price of alcohol as well as by the consumers' behavioural response. The Government will consult on the level to be set for minimum unit pricing in the forthcoming months.
	The analysis of the effects of introducing a minimum per unit price for alcohol will be performed during the consultation process to inform the policy impact assessment.

Alcoholic Drinks: Prices

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what comparative assessment he has made of the merits of increasing the unit price of alcohol by either (a) introducing a minimum unit price or (b) increasing VAT.

Chloe Smith: Alcohol sales do not fall within any of the excepted categories from the standard rate of VAT under EU law, and therefore must be taxed at the standard rate. There is no scope for a rate that is higher than the standard rate, which in the United Kingdom is 20%. The Government has committed to introducing a minimum unit price for alcohol and will be consulting on the level to be set in the coming months.

Billing

Michael Dugher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of payments made by his Department to small and medium-sized enterprises have been paid late since May 2010.

Chloe Smith: HM Treasury's aim is to pay all valid goods and services invoices within five working days and this applies to all suppliers of goods and services irrespective of size.
	Details of the Treasury Group's performance against the five working day aim since May 2010 can be found on the Department's website at:
	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/group_payment_performance.htm
	Information on payment performance by size of supplier could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Bona Vacantia

Ben Gummer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the value is of all the cases referred to the Estates Group within the Bona Vacantia Division of the Treasury Solicitor and ceded to the state in the latest period for which figures are available.

Chloe Smith: £7,085,474 was transferred to the Consolidated Fund in respect of unclaimed estates for the period 1 February 2011 to 31 January 2012. Estates' money passed to the Consolidated Fund can be subject to later claim by entitled kin within the 12 year limitation period.

Bona Vacantia

Ben Gummer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cases where a person died without leaving a will or any entitled kin were referred to the Estates Group within the Bona Vacantia Division of the Treasury Solicitor in each of the last five years.

Chloe Smith: The number of cases where a person died without leaving a will or any entitled kin were referred to the Estates Group within the Bona Vacantia Division of the Treasury Solicitor in each of the last five years is set out in the following table:
	
		
			 January to  December  each year Number of estates 
			 2008 776 
			 2009 660 
			 2010 619 
			 2011 796 
			 2012 (January to May) 494

Departmental Staff: Political Affiliation

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the (a) job title and (b) pay band was of each official, excluding special advisers, recruited by his Department since May 2010 who was previously employed in any capacity by the (i) Conservative Party or its elected representatives and (ii) Liberal Democrat Party or its elected representatives; and whether their position was advertised publicly;
	(2)  what the (a) job title and (b) pay band was of each official, excluding special advisers, recruited by his Department since May 2010 who previously held an elected position as a member of the (i) Conservative Party and (ii) Liberal Democrat Party; and whether their position was advertised publicly.

Chloe Smith: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Excise Duties: Alcoholic Drinks

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of revenue lost to the Exchequer through unpaid duty on (a) beer, (b) wine and (c) cider.

Chloe Smith: HMRC estimated that total losses in revenue associated through the illicit market in beer cost the Exchequer £500 million in 2009-10. This estimate was published in ‘Improved Beer Tax Gap Estimate: Lower Bound’, and is available online at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/beer-tax-gap-feb2012.pdf
	Estimates for revenue losses in wine and cider are not currently available.
	Further information is available in the publication ‘Measuring Tax Gaps 2011’, which is available online at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/mtg-2011.pdf

Excise Duties: Gaming Machines

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the data and calculations which his Department uses to set the rate of Machine Games Duty.

Chloe Smith: The policy costings document published alongside the Budget outlines how the rates of Machine Games Duty have been calculated. The costings have been independently scrutinised by the Office of Budget Responsibility.
	The policy costings document is accessible at the HM Treasury website:
	http://cdn.hm-treasury.gov.uk/budget2012_policy_costings.pdf

Families

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was spent on direct support for families in each year since 2010; and what the projected spending on such support is for each of the next two years.

Chloe Smith: Child benefit (CB) and child tax credit (CTC) are the main benefits paid exclusively to families with children. The outturn for the last two years and the forecast for the next two is as follows.
	
		
			 Expenditure outturn 
			 £ billion 
			  CTC CB Total 
			 2010-11 21.7 12.1 33.8 
			 2011-12 22.7 12.2 34.9 
		
	
	
		
			 Expenditure forecast 
			 £ billion 
			  CTC CB Total 
			 2012-13 23.6 11.9 35.5 
			 2013-14 24.2 10.8 35.0 
		
	
	Expenditure outturn is an output of HMRC's administrative systems. The forecast expenditure figures were produced using the official child benefit and tax credits forecast models certified by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). The information about child tax credit is based on an estimated split of the overall tax credits expenditure between child tax credit and working tax credit.

Unemployment

Alison McGovern: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment his Department has made of the medium and long-term cost to the Exchequer of the current level of unemployment.

Chloe Smith: On 21 March 2012, the Office for Budget Responsibility published the official forecast for UK public finances to 2016-17, including a breakdown by individual taxes and other types of receipts and by categories of expenditures. This forecast takes full account of recent developments in the labour market and the rest of the economy and of Budget announcements.
	The OBR forecast social security payments as a share of GDP to fall from 11.4% to 10.3% over the forecast period, as the economy recovers and unemployment falls, and fiscal consolidation through savings in social security take effect.

VAT

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letter of 9 March 2012 from the British Hospitality Association and other large bodies representing the hospitality industry on VAT and the tourism sector; and if he will make a statement.

Chloe Smith: The correspondence referred to could not be traced as being received by HM Treasury. The hon. Member’s office has been asked for a copy and it will be dealt with as soon as possible on receipt.

VAT

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was raised from VAT on alcohol sales in each of the last five years.

David Gauke: The information is not available.

VAT

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much VAT was refunded to visitors from abroad to the UK on goods which they exported to their home countries in the last year for which figures are available; and what the cost was of administering those refunds.

David Gauke: No estimates have been made. The information is not available.

VAT

John Glen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on the imposition of VAT on (a) automatic defibrillators and (b) other first aid equipment; and if he will assess the merits of exempting such equipment from VAT.

David Gauke: Medical equipment supplied to an eligible body (NHS trust, charitable institution providing medical or first aid services, strategic health authority) by a charity or paid for with voluntary contributions is zero rated for VAT. Existing agreements with our EU partners do not allow the UK or other member states to extend the scope of their existing reliefs.

VAT

David Morris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward proposals for the tapering of tax relief for the introduction of VAT on holiday homes.

David Gauke: There are no proposals to introduce VAT on holiday homes.
	Annex B—Tables of Impact for Individual Measures—in HM Revenue and Customs consultation document ‘VAT: Addressing Borderline Anomalies’, published at Budget 2012, sets out estimates for VAT which will be raised from holiday caravans and a summary of impacts upon which comments are invited:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget2012/vat-con-4801.pdf

EDUCATION

Curriculum: ICT

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what impact assessment he has made of the potential effects on future employability of the removal of ICT classes from the curriculum.

Nick Gibb: The Government is not proposing to remove ICT classes from the curriculum. Our proposal to disapply the existing Programmes of Study and associated attainment targets and assessment arrangements for ICT is an interim measure intended to give schools more flexibility to develop courses of study in ICT that meet the needs of their pupils more effectively. Under our proposals ICT would remain a compulsory subject within the National Curriculum at all four key stages. We have recently completed a public consultation on the proposals which received 333 responses, including comments relating to employability. We are currently considering the responses and will be announcing our conclusions shortly.
	In addition, the Expert Panel advising the National Curriculum review has made some recommendations relating to the longer term position of ICT within the statutory curriculum. We have been discussing those recommendations with stakeholders over recent months and will also be announcing our conclusions on this issue shortly.

Free School Meals

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how many pupils were eligible for and (a) claiming and (b) not claiming free school meals in (i) maintained nurseries, (ii) state-funded secondary schools, (iii) special schools, (iv) pupil referral units and (v) alternative provision in (A) Newcastle upon Tyne North constituency, (B) the North East and (C) England in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many pupils were in (a) maintained nurseries, ( b ) state-funded secondary schools, (c) special schools, (d) pupil referral units and (e) alternative provision in (i) Newcastle upon Tyne North constituency, (ii) the North East and (iii) England in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Gibb: The available information has been placed in the House Libraries.
	Information on the number and percentage of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals is provided. This includes pupils of all ages including post 16 and nursery age pupils. Eligibility rates are lower for nursery pupils and post 16 pupils compared to pupils of compulsory school age.
	It is not known how many pupils meet the eligibility criteria but do not make a claim. Information on the number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals as at January 2011 is published in the Statistical First Release ‘Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics, January 2011’, available at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001012/index.shtml

Literacy: Standards

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether it is still national guidance that teachers should correct no more than three spelling mistakes in a piece of work in order not to harm a child's self-esteem.

Nick Gibb: There is no current national guidance regarding the correcting of spelling mistakes; this is a matter for schools.
	The Government is making a range of changes to emphasise the importance of correct spelling and grammar. A new Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling test will be introduced at Key Stage 2 and enhanced importance will be given to spelling in mark schemes for GCSE examinations.

Physics Teachers

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to recruit more physics teachers.

Nick Gibb: The Government's plans include funding a new Institute of Physics teacher training scholarship worth £20,000 to attract 100 of the best graduates into teaching physics each year, introducing training bursaries of £12,000 to £15,000 for all physics post-graduate teacher trainees with at least a 2.2 in their first degree, focusing marketing campaigns on science and mathematics, and accelerating the expansion of the Teach First programme, which has a good record of attracting top graduates into teaching science and mathematics.

Pre-school Education

Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of families in Reading West constituency who will receive free early education for two-year-olds in each year of the spending review period.

Sarah Teather: The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in the autumn statement of 29 November 2011, Official Report, columns 799-810, that the early education entitlement for two-year-olds will be expanded to around 260,000 children. The Government intends to take a phased approach to the implementation of the new entitlement. The 20% most disadvantaged two-year-olds will be eligible from September 2013. From 2014, the entitlement will be extended to around 40% of two-year-olds.
	We estimate that around 400 two-year-olds living within the area covered by Reading borough council are likely to be eligible for the entitlement from September 2013. We are considering eligibility criteria for the second phase, and will consult in due course.

School Food

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to identify and spread best practice in respect of nutritional standards in schools.

Sarah Teather: New standards for school food in maintained schools were introduced, through legislation, in 2007. The regulations set out a combination of food-based and nutrient-based standards, and these are publicly available on the School Food Trust's website.
	We expect maintained schools, as a minimum, to have arrangements in place to meet the standards. The Department has funded the School Food Trust £1.5 million in 2012-13 to help schools meet the standards and share examples of good practice. The trust's work includes advising the Department on evidence around school food, working with schools and caterers to support compliance with the standards, and supporting work to increase take-up of school food. The latest survey of secondary schools' compliance with the standards does show an improvement since 2004, but that further progress is still needed.

Secondary Education: Reading (Berkshire)

Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many applications he received for funding from his Department's summer schools fund for disadvantaged children making the transition to secondary school; and how many were for schools in Reading West constituency.

Sarah Teather: The Department for Education has received just over 2,000 eligible applications for the Summer Schools programme for disadvantaged pupils. Two applications received are from schools in the Reading West constituency.

Special Educational Needs: Direct Payments Pilot

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what progress his Department has made on the implementation of the provisions of the Special Educational Needs (Direct Payments) (Pilot Scheme) Order 2012; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  when he expects personal budgets for special educational provision to be offered to parents in each of the local authorities listed in Schedule 2 of the Special Educational Needs (Direct Payments) (Pilot Scheme) Order 2012.

Sarah Teather: The provisions in the Special Education Needs (Direct Payments) (Pilot Scheme) (Order) 2012 came into force on 30 January 2012 and are for implementation by the local authorities named in Schedule 2 of the Order. It allows the Special Education Needs (SEN) and Disability Green Paper pathfinders, along with the Individual Budgets for Disabled Children pilot authorities, to test the use of direct payments for special educational provision as part of their work to trial the use of personal budgets.
	The Department for Education is working through the SEN and Disability Green Paper pathfinder support team to help the authorities implement the Order. This activity has included two learning network events for pathfinders that have incorporated specific sessions on the implementation of the Order.
	The Department has extended the independent evaluation of the Green Paper pathfinder programme to provide detailed information on the implementation of the pilot scheme. Working with the evaluation contractor, it is collecting information on the pilot authorities’ plans to implement the scheme.
	The Department has yet to receive a response from all the authorities named in the Order, but the information received to date indicates that three authorities are offering direct payments and almost all expect to do so in either the summer or autumn terms this year.

Teachers: Recruitment

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to encourage more men to become primary school teachers.

Nick Gibb: We recognise the benefit of increasing the number of male teachers working in primary schools to provide more role models. The Men in Primary School Experience Pilot Programme is designed specifically to provide school experience opportunities for men to help increase the number entering primary initial teacher training. We also expect the Troops to Teachers programme announced in the Schools White Paper to encourage more men to work in primary schools.

Teachers: Training

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many applications for postgraduate teacher training there were in each year since 1997.

Nick Gibb: Information on the number of applications for Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) courses in England from 1996/97 to 2010/11 made through the Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR) is in the following table. These figures reflect the position at the end of the academic year.
	Other postgraduate Initial Teacher Training (ITT) routes are available but records of applications via these routes are not held centrally.
	
		
			 Applications for PGCE courses in each year from 1996/97 to 2010/11 made through the GTTR 
			 Academic year Applications 
			 England and Wales  
			 1996/97 33,240 
			 1997/98 33,300 
			 1998/99 31,640 
			 1999/2000 33,060 
			 2000/01 34,860 
			   
			 England  
			 2001/02 37,960 
			 2002/03 42,570 
			 2003/04 46,710 
			 2004/05 48,130 
			 2005/06 43,880 
			 2006/07 40,090 
			 2007/08 38,990 
			 2008/09 48,360 
			 2009/10 53,620 
			 2010/11 50,650 
			 Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 and include some applications which were subsequently withdrawn. 2. Some applications for postgraduate ITT courses are made independently of the GTTR and are not included in the figures. 3. Membership of the GTTR changes between years, therefore the number of higher education institutions covered in this table varies from year to year. Source: GTTR

Teachers: Training

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much funding was available through the Graduate Teaching Programme for (a) science, technology, engineering and mathematics and (b) other shortage subjects in each of the last five years; and how much such funding he plans to make available in academic year (i) 2012-13, (ii) 2013-14 and (iii) 2014-15.

Nick Gibb: The funding for the Graduate Teacher Programme consists of two parts: funding for the training provider to deliver the training programme (the training grant, which includes the salary grant administration fee) and funding to support the school's costs in employing the trainee (the salary grant).
	Places and funding are allocated on a subject group basis that relates to the subject priorities of that year. The subjects in each group vary from year to year, but science, technology, engineering and mathematics have remained a priority throughout the last five years. The total funding available for priority subjects is as follows:
	
		
			 Academic year Group of high priority subjects Funding allocated (£ million) 
			 2007-08 Applied ICT, design and technology, drama, dance, engineering, English, information and communication technology (ICT), manufacturing, mathematics, modern foreign languages, music, religious education, biology, chemistry, combined/general science, physics. 41 
			 2008-09 Applied ICT, design and technology, engineering, information and communication technology (ICT), manufacturing, mathematics, modern foreign languages, music, religious education, biology, chemistry, combined/general science, physics. 30.7 
			 2009-10 Applied ICT, design and technology, engineering, information and communication technology (ICT), manufacturing, mathematics, modern foreign languages, music, religious education, biology, chemistry, combined/general science, physics. 30.8 
			 2010-11 Applied ICT, design and technology, engineering, information and communication technology (ICT), manufacturing, mathematics, modern foreign languages, music, religious education, biology, chemistry, combined/general science, physics. 26.4 
			 2011-12 Maths, physics, chemistry, information and communication technology (ICT), applied ICT, applied science, other science, modern foreign languages, design and technology, engineering. 24.2 
		
	
	The funding regime was changed for the 2012-13 academic year, creating a separate group of the highest priority subjects. The subjects in this group are mathematics, physics, chemistry and modern foreign languages. £16.6 million has been made available for Graduate Teacher Programme training in these subjects. Funding for the Graduate Teacher Programme beyond the 2012-13 academic year is yet to be decided.

Teachers: Veterans

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many former members of the armed forces (a) applied and (b) were accepted for the Teach First programme in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011 and (iii) 2012 to date.

Nick Gibb: Teach First works in partnership with the Officers' Association to ensure that the Teach First Leadership Development Programme is promoted to all applicable candidates leaving the armed forces. The numbers of applications and acceptances are as follows
	(1)
	:
	(1) Data provided by Teach First, May 2012
	
		
			  Applications Acceptances 
			 2010 4 2 
			 2011 8 4 
		
	
	Teach First are unable to provide figures for the 2012 cohort as this year's recruitment phase has not yet finished.

Teachers: Veterans

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 1 May 2012, Official Report, column 1522W, on teachers: veterans, how many of the 195 service leavers who have applied for initial teacher training courses since March 2011 were accepted onto and successfully completed those courses.

Nick Gibb: The number of service leavers who have applied for initial teacher training courses since March 2011 has increased to 214; of which 80(1) have been accepted onto courses. We can expect this number to increase as more providers confirm acceptances over the coming months. The 80 service leavers are not due to complete their courses until summer 2012 at the earliest.
	(1) Data provided by the Teaching Agency, May 2012

Vocational Guidance: Disabled

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to ensure that schools continue to provide careers advice for disabled young people.

Nick Gibb: The Education Act 2011 places schools under a duty from September 2012 to secure access to independent, impartial careers guidance for their pupils. Statutory guidance has been published recently to support schools in planning for the introduction of the new duty. This makes specific provision to ensure that disabled young people receive advice about all the mainstream education, training and employment opportunities on offer, regardless of their individual circumstances, as well as information on the full range of specialist provision that is available. The statutory guidance also places a clear requirement on schools to secure face-to-face careers guidance for pupils where it is the most suitable support for young people, particularly those who have special educational needs, learning difficulties or disabilities.
	Schools will be expected to work, as appropriate, with external and expert careers providers. The Government is working with the Careers Profession Alliance and other sector organisations to implement the recommendations of the Careers Profession Task Force. The 14 recommendations include the development of common professional standards, a code of ethics and initial training and continuing professional development to ensure careers advisers can carry out their role effectively, including when working with disabled young people.

Vocational Guidance: Disabled

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how he plans to monitor the effectiveness of the careers advice schools provide to young disabled people.

Nick Gibb: From September 2012, schools will have a legal obligation to secure access to independent and impartial careers guidance for their pupils. The effectiveness of schools in supporting the successful transition of all young people, including those with disabilities, into appropriate and sustainable education or training will be demonstrated by new education destination measures. Information will be published showing the percentage of students progressing to further education or training in a school, further education or sixth form college, apprenticeship or higher education institution.
	Statutory guidance for schools on the new duty makes specific provision to ensure disabled pupils receive independent and impartial advice about mainstream and specialist education and training options available to them. A thematic review of careers guidance, reporting in summer 2013, will allow Ofsted to look at how well schools are responding to this and other aspects of their new responsibilities. The review will establish a baseline for future improvements in the quality of provision. School inspections will also provide an opportunity to consider the extent to which pupils have a good understanding of the options open to them as they move through school and on to the next stage of their education or training.

Young People: Drugs

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the proportion of young people in the Teesside area who use illegal drugs.

Sarah Teather: The Department for Education has not made any estimates of the proportion of young people using illegal drugs in the Teesside area; the data sources the Department uses do not provide local level data for illegal drug use among young people.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Accountancy

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many members of staff in each of the last three years working for his Department have a recognised accountancy qualification; and how many such staff (a) have the Associate Chartered Accountant qualification and (b) are working towards a recognised accountancy qualification.

Chris Grayling: The members of staff working for the Department with a recognised accountancy qualification in each of the last three years, as at 31 March each year, are:
	
		
			  Number 
			 2012 381 
			 2011 423 
			 2010 425 
			 Note: The above includes only those individuals who are fully qualified, and have a professional qualification which the Department recognises as sufficient to allow individuals to be eligible to apply for posts designated as requiring a professional accountancy qualification. 
		
	
	The numbers within the above who hold the Associate Chartered Accountant qualification are:
	
		
			  Number 
			 2012 42 
			 2011 46 
			 2010 50 
			 Note: The above includes those who have the higher level qualification of Fellow, for which an individual usually has had to have been qualified at Associate level for 10 years or longer. 
		
	
	The numbers working towards a recognised accountancy qualification at these dates are:
	
		
			  Number 
			 2012 48 
			 2011 87 
			 2010 110

Carer’s Allowance

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people aged between 50 and 64 years are in receipt of carers allowance in the latest period for which figures are available.

Maria Miller: As at August 2011 there were 197,330 people aged between 50 and 64 years old in receipt of carer's allowance.
	Notes:
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	2. Figures include the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital.
	3. These figures are published on the Department's Tabulation Tool at:
	http://83.244.183.180/100pc/ca/tabtool_ca.html
	Source:
	DWP Information, Governance and Security Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study, 100% data

Carer’s Allowance

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were eligible for carers allowance in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many people claimed carers allowance in the latest period for which figures are available.

Maria Miller: As at August 2011 there were 1,032,790 people who were entitled to carer's allowance and 583,330 in receipt of carer's allowance.
	Notes
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	2. Figures include number of people who are entitled to carer's allowance but do not receive payment because they receive an overlapping benefit equal to or greater than their weekly rate of carer's allowance.
	3. Figures include the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital.
	4. These figures are published on the Department's Tabulation Tool at:
	http://83.244.183.180/100pc/ca/tabtool_ca.html
	Source
	DWP Information, Governance and Security Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study, 100% data

Child Maintenance

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission has to charge for the collection of child maintenance arrears which have accumulated under the previous two child support schemes.

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
	Letter from Noel Shanahan
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission has to charge for the collection of child maintenance arrears which have accumulated under the previous two child support schemes.
	I refer the hon. Member to the written reply I gave to her PQ 105823 on 30 April 2012, Hansard, column 1312W.
	There are no such plans. Historical arrears from the two current schemes that are collected under the new scheme will not have a collection or enforcement charge levied against them. They will continue to be collected regardless of whether or not a parent to whom the debt is owed decides to open a case in the new child support scheme.

Child Maintenance

Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many residents of Reading West constituency have Child Support Agency cases with arrears of (a) £5,000 to £10,000, (b) £10,000 to £20,000, (c) £20,000 to £50,000 and (d) more than £50,000.

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to my hon. Friend with the information requested and I have seen the response.
	Letter from Noel Shanahan
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many residents of Reading West constituency have Child Support Agency cases with arrears of (a) £5,000 to £10,000, (b) £10,000 to £20,000, (c) £20,000 to £50,000 and (d) more than £50,000.
	This question has been interpreted as the number of non-resident parents of Reading West constituency with arrears as opposed to the number of parents with care.
	At March 2012, the number of non-resident parents living in the Reading West constituency split by bands is shown as follows.
	
		
			 Arrears band Arrears case load: March 2012 
			 Under £100 610 
			 Over £100 to £500 790 
			 Over £500 to £1,000 330 
			 Over £1,000 to £5,000 600 
		
	
	
		
			 Over £5,000 to £10,000 170 
			 Over £10,000 to £20,000 120 
			 Over £20,000 to £50,000 60 
			 Over £50,000 10

Consultants

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on external consultants, including management consultants, in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: Spend on external consultancy services in 2010-11 was £18.2 million, this represents a 55% year on year reduction. Spend in 2011-12 was £5.8 million, this represents a 68% year on year reduction.
	The Department will continue to use external consultants where appropriate and this remains an important provision. Each request for consultancy goes through an internal approval process involving senior officials, permanent secretary and Ministers.

Employment

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the causes of trends in employment among UK-born citizens since January 2007.

Chris Grayling: Employment trends over this period have been driven mainly by the impact of the recession. The employment rate of UK born workers aged 16 to 64 was broadly flat at around 74% in the years leading up to the recession but fell to 71% between Q4 2007 and Q4 2009. Since then the rate has followed a flat trend fluctuating around 71%, with the absolute number in work falling in line with a fall in the total population of UK born people aged 16-64.
	Note:
	Figures are from the Labour Force Survey and are not seasonally adjusted.

Employment

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people who were born in the UK were in employment in each year since 2007, broken down by (a) type of job and (b) skill level.

Chris Grayling: Information is not published in the format requested.
	Details of employment by country of birth and employment by occupation are available at:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/re-reference-tables.html?newquery=*&newoffset=25&pageSize=25&edition= tcm%3A77-230793
	Information on skill level is not available. Highest qualification level is often used as a proxy for skill level. Details of highest qualification level in the population are available from the 'Quarterly Statistical First Release—Post-16 Education & Skills: Learner Participation, Outcomes and Level of Highest Qualification Held' series:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/BF0E331F-AF8F-437F-838F-5A0313CC81F7/0/SFR_Commentary_March2012.pdf

Employment

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were employed in the UK (a) in each type of job and (b) at each skill level in each year since 2007.

Chris Grayling: Information is not published in the format requested.
	Details of employment by occupation are available at:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/re-reference-tables.html?newquery=*&newoffset=25&pageSize=25&edition= tcm%3A77-230793
	Information on skill level is not available. Highest qualification level is often used as a proxy for skill level. Details of highest qualification level in the population are available from the 'Quarterly Statistical First Release—Post-16 Education & Skills: Learner Participation, Outcomes and Level of Highest Qualification Held' series:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/BF0E331F-AF8F-437F-838F-5A0313CC81F7/0/SFR_Commentary_March2012.pdf

Employment and Support Allowance

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of claimants of employment and support allowance in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK have been judged fit for work since October 2008; how many appeals against such determinations were initiated; and how many such appeals were granted.

Chris Grayling: The Department regularly publishes official statistics on employment and support allowance (ESA) and the work capability assessment (WCA). The latest publication was released in April 2012 and can be found on the departmental website here:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/index.php?page=esa_wca
	Table 1a in the publication gives the outcomes (including fit for work decisions) of all new claims to ESA received since its introduction in October 2008. The table gives this information for all claims received across the whole of Great Britain and also by region.
	Table 3 in the publication gives the number of appeals against fit for work decisions in Great Britain and their outcomes.
	The following tables give the number and proportion of claimants found fit for work and those appealing a fit for work decision for the South Tyneside local authority area and the North East region. Information for the Jarrow constituency is not available.
	Table A as follows gives the latest data on fit for work outcomes at the initial WCA in the geographical regions shown. It covers all claims received by the end of August 2011.
	
		
			 Table A: Outcome at initial WCA for all new ESA claims received between October 2008 and August 2011 
			   Fit for work 
			 Region All completed initial WCA Total fit for work Percentage of all completed initial WCA 
			 South Tyneside 4,700 3,400 73 
			 North East 70,700 50,700 72 
		
	
	Table B as follows gives the number of appeals heard and their outcomes. Note that appeals data is only available for claims starting by the end of February 2011 so is not directly comparable with the data in Table A above.
	
		
			 Table B: Appeals heard and outcomes against a FFW decision at the initial WCA for ESA claims received between October 2008 and February 2011 
			  Appeals heard Appeals: DWP decision overturned 
			 Region Total appeals heard Percentage of all FFW decisions DWP decision overturned Percentage of all appeals heard 
			 South Tyneside 1,400 47 600 41 
			 North East 20,900 49 7,700 37 
		
	
	All figures have been rounded to the nearest 100 cases or percentage point.
	This information is taken from administrative data held by the Department for Work and Pensions, assessment data provided by Atos Healthcare and appeals data provided by Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service.
	Note:
	The figures in the above tables represent people that have made a claim for ESA and do not include those moving to ESA as part of the incapacity benefits reassessment programme.

Employment and Support Allowance: Berkshire

Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many employment and support allowance claimants resident in (a) Reading West constituency, (b) Reading and (c) Berkshire were placed in the (i) work-related activity group and (ii) support group in the latest period for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: The following table shows the number of employment and support allowance (ESA) claimants placed in the Work-Related Activity Group and the Support Group between October 2008 to November 2011 (this is the latest period for which these figures are available). Information is unavailable for Reading West. The numbers provided have been rounded to the nearest 10.
	
		
			 ESA awards in Reading and Berkshire 
			  Work Capability Assessment (WCA) Outcome 
			 Geographic Location Work Related Activity Group Support Group 
			 Reading 690 290 
		
	
	
		
			 Berkshire 2,360 1,170 
			 Notes: 1. The data presented above come from benefit claims data held by the Department for Work and Pensions and functional assessment data from Atos Healthcare. 2. These figures do not include incapacity benefit reassessment claims. 3. A small number of clerical assessments, where the result cannot be determined from DWP benefits data, are excluded from these figures. 4. Berkshire represents the combined figures for Reading, Wokingham, Bracknell Forest, Windsor and Maidenhead and Slough. 
		
	
	The Department regularly publishes data on ESA and the WCA, which can be found on the departmental website at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/index.php?page=esa_wca

Employment Schemes

Dave Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many long-term benefits claimants who are fit to work have not yet been referred on to the work programme.

Chris Grayling: The information requested is not collated centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	At present we do not collect management information on the number of customers who have not been referred to the Work programme.

Employment Schemes: Reading (Berkshire)

Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many businesses in Reading West constituency are participating in the Work Experience programme.

Chris Grayling: We do not hold this information.

Employment Schemes: Reading (Berkshire)

Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people claiming employment and support allowance were referred into the work programme in Reading West constituency in the latest period for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: Official statistics on Work programme referrals and attachments up to the end of January 2012 were published on 9 May. The information requested can be found via the Tabulation Tool which is published on the Department's website:
	http://83.244.183.180/WorkProg/tabtool.html

Employment Schemes: Reading (Berkshire)

Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were successfully placed in jobs by Work programme contractors in Reading West constituency in each of the last 12 months.

Chris Grayling: The Department aims to publish official statistics on Work programme job outcomes in autumn 2012 and it is intended that these figures will include a constituency breakdown.

Employment Schemes: Young People

David Miliband: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many individuals have received Youth Contract wage subsidies since the launch of the scheme.

Chris Grayling: The Youth Contract wage incentives which are worth up to £2,275 each are paid directly to employers and not to individuals. No wage incentives have yet been paid because the earliest eligibility would be eight weeks (for smaller employers) after the launch of the Youth Contract on 2 April.

Incapacity Benefit

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many incapacity benefit claimants in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the north-east and (d) the UK were placed in a work-related activity group in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many incapacity benefit claimants in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the north-east and (d) the UK were placed on jobseeker's allowance in each of the last five years.

Chris Grayling: The reassessment of incapacity benefits claimants for employment and support allowance started nationally in April 2011.
	The Department recently published a first release of official statistics on the outcomes of claims undergoing the incapacity benefits reassessment (IBR) process. This covers all cases that were first referred for reassessment by the end of July 2011. The statistics can be found on the departmental website at:
	http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/index.php?page=esa_ibr
	In addition the Department recently released an additional breakdown of the IBR data which provide regional and local authority outcomes of the IBR process. This information is also available at the above link.
	Information on the number of claimants leaving IB that go on to claim jobseeker's allowance is not available.

Incapacity Benefit

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what impact assessment was made by his Department prior to the roll-out of the incapacity benefits migration programme in April 2011; and if he will publish any such assessment.

Chris Grayling: In 2010 the Department produced an impact assessment covering the reassessment of existing incapacity benefits claims for employment and support allowance.
	The impact assessment can be found on the UK Legislation website at the following link:
	http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/875/pdfs/uksiem_20100875_en.pdf

Long-term Unemployed People: Training

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what financial assistance is available to long-term unemployed people who wish to retrain for professions such as an electrician.

Chris Grayling: Jobcentre Plus offers personalised and tailored support for unemployed people to return to work as soon as possible, as it is often easier for people to pursue their careers once they have found a job.
	Longer term unemployed people are eligible for the Work Programme. Work Programme providers are free to design support based on individual and local need, which could include an element of retraining.
	In England, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills have agreed that unemployed people claiming out of work benefits are eligible for training that will give them the skills they need to get a job.
	Training providers now have greater freedom to tailor training to the needs of the local community and economy. Jobcentre Plus is playing an important role in influencing the local training offer, engaging with employers, colleges and providers.
	Apprenticeships provide an important vocational route for people to develop their employment skills and progress while in work. As an employee, apprentices earn as they learn, gain practical skills in the workplace, and work to nationally recognised qualifications.

Pay

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of his Department's officials located in Wales would be affected by proposals for local-facing pay.

Chris Grayling: As at 1 April 2012, the number of DWP staff in post in Wales is 6,446. This is the number of staff potentially affected by proposals for local market facing pay. At this stage we are unable to confirm whether the proposals will affect all staff in Wales and if so to what extent.
	When the market rates and metrics, outlined in my response to the hon. Member on 27 March 2012, are finalised we will complete the development of our strategy for local market facing pay.

Sick Leave

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many days of sick leave were taken by staff in his Department in each of the last three years.

Chris Grayling: In accordance with cross-Government arrangements, the Department reports sick leave expressed as average working days lost (AWDL) per employee per year. The following table provides AWDL data for the last three performance years:
	
		
			  AWDL 
			 2009-10 8.5 
			 2010-11 8.1 
			 2011-12 7.3 
		
	
	We are committed to building upon the improvement reflected in these data by helping staff maintain good health at work, rehabilitating them back to work when they fall ill and taking prompt and firm administrative action when they are unable to maintain good attendance records. This will accord with the best practice reported by Dame Carol Black and David Frost CBE in ‘Health at work—an independent review of sickness absence’, published in November 2011.

Social Security Benefits

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department has estimated the potential change in the volume of work for bailiffs arising from benefit changes in (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13 and (c) 2013-14; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: An estimate of these effects has not been made by the Department.

Social Security Benefits: Airdrie

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much benefit was paid to claimants in Airdrie and Shotts constituency in 2011-12; and what estimate he has made of the level of payments in 2012-13.

Maria Miller: Expenditure figures for 2011-12 are not yet available. DWP does not produce expenditure forecasts below Great Britain level. Benefit expenditure for Airdrie and Shotts constituency in 2010-11 was £198.6 million.
	Further benefit expenditure data by country, region, local authority and parliamentary constituency to 2010-11 can be found here:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/index.php?page=expenditure

Social Security Benefits: Telephone Services

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost of making the benefit cap helpline a freephone number; and what consideration he has given to providing such a number.

Chris Grayling: The Department is currently reviewing its telephony numbering policy in conjunction with Ofcom, and this includes the use of 0845 telephone numbers.
	The Department for Work and Pensions' (DWP) current strategy is that calls to claim benefit or request emergency payments should be free, so it uses 0800 free phone numbers for these calls.
	The Department currently uses 0845 telephone numbers when claimants call for other reasons, and these are calls that typically take less time to resolve. The charges that apply to these calls will be set by the customer's telephone or mobile operator.
	DWP currently has an agreement with eight of the UK's main mobile phone operators that calls to DWP 0800 numbers are free. If we migrated all of our 0845 telephone numbers over to 0800, it is unlikely that mobile phone operators would agree to extend the agreement to cover the increase.
	We are aware of the financial difficulties that this can cause some people and so, when someone asks us or raises concern over the cost of a call, we will offer to call them back. The Department also provides "Customer Access Phones" in a large number of its Jobcentre Plus offices, where people can make benefit claims or pursue job applications and they do not have to pay when using these facilities. These phones can also be used to make an enquiry in relation to the benefit cap.

Telephone Services

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many call centres provide services for his Department and the bodies for which he is responsible; and how many such call centres are based abroad.

Chris Grayling: The Department (not including CMEC) provides a telephony service from a network of 57 DWP contact centres. All of these sites are located within the UK.
	Of these centres:
	33 deal with working age benefits
	13 deal with pension age benefits
	one deals with disability benefits
	one deals with Carers Allowance
	five deal with Debt enquiries
	two are non departmental public bodies (National Employee Savings Trust and Remploy)
	two deal with employee shared service inquiries.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will provide details of the universal credit pathfinder that will launch in April 2013.

Chris Grayling: We are developing our plans for a pathfinding approach to support the testing of universal credit and expect to make an announcement shortly.

Work Capability Assessment

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average number of work capability assessments carried out by Atos Healthcare was (a) each day, (b) each week, (c) each month and (d) each year in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011 and (iii) 2012 to date.

Chris Grayling: Work capability assessments (WCAs) undertaken by Atos Healthcare can be provided through either a face to face assessment or where a face to face assessment is not required. The total number of WCAs conducted in the period 2010-12 is a:
	
		
			  Year Month Week Working day 
			 2012  (year to date)     
			 Advice given without the need for a face to face assessment 139,000 34,800 7,000 1,500 
			 Advice given after face to face assessment 304,000 76,000 15,200 3,400 
			 Year to date WCAs delivered 443,000 110,800 22,200 4,900 
			      
			 2011     
			 Advice given without the need for a face to face assessment 239,600 20,000 4,600 1,000 
		
	
	
		
			 Advice given after face to face assessment 580,000 48,300 11,200 2,300 
			 Year to date WCAs delivered 819,600 68,300 15,800 3,300 
			      
			 2010     
			 Advice given without the need for a face to face assessment 67,100 5,600 1,300 300 
			 Advice given after face to face assessment 470,800 39,200 9,100 1,900 
			 Year to date WCAs delivered 537,900 44,800 10,400 2,200 
		
	
	The figures include both ESA and IBR assessments.
	The data have been prepared by Atos Healthcare and provide the number of WCAs carried out by Atos.
	These data only represent assessments carried out where Atos has given their recommendation to the DWP decision-maker (DM). After Atos provides a recommendation to the Department, the DM will then make a final decision on entitlement. The DM will take the Atos recommendation and any other relevant information into consideration when coming to a final decision for a particular case.
	The figures are based on calendar years for 2010 and 2011 and for 2012 covers the period 1 January to 10 May.
	These figures produced by Atos Healthcare are not directly comparable with departmental published statistics for ESA and IBR. The above figures show the number of WCAs undertaken by Atos, whereas departmental statistics give the final outcomes of the assessments.
	The Department regularly publishes official statistics on ESA, incapacity benefits reassessment (IBR) and the WCA, the latest ESA publication was released in April 2012. These statistics provide a complete picture of all new ESA claims received including their final outcome at assessment, any subsequent appeals and other more detailed information including the health conditions of claimants. The publication can be found on the departmental website at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/index.php?page=esa_wca
	The latest IBR publication provides data on the final outcomes for claims going through the IB reassessment process and can be found on the departmental website at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/index.php?page=esa_ibr

Work Capability Assessment

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to publish updated cancer descriptors for the work capability assessment; when he plans to publish updated fluctuating conditions descriptors for the work capability assessment; when he expects Professor Malcolm Harrington to publish his third review of the work capability assessment; and whether there are targets for the number of work capability assessments Atos Healthcare must carry out each (a) day, (b) week, (c) month and (d) year.

Chris Grayling: Following work during Professor Harrington's 2(nd) Independent Review of the Work Capability Assessment (WCA), the Department conducted an informal consultation on accounting for the effects of cancer treatment in the WCA to seek views on our proposals. We are currently analysing these responses and will publish a consultation response, this will include more detailed proposals for changes. Publication of this document is planned for the summer. Until we have done so it would be inappropriate to make comment on any changes to the WCA.
	Additionally, recognising that particular concerns have been raised about the way the WCA works for people with fluctuating chronic physical conditions and for people with mental, intellectual and cognitive conditions, Professor Harrington asked leading charities to make recommendations to refine the specific descriptors used in the WCA. Professor Harrington agreed with the Government that further evidence is required to establish whether the charities' proposed descriptors would make the assessment more accurate; we are currently investigating how to build up such an evidence base.
	Professor Harrington has agreed to take forward the third annual Independent Review of the WCA. We look forward to receiving his latest report, publication of which is planned for November.
	The Department does not set weekly or monthly numerical targets for the number of work capability assessments Atos Healthcare are expected to clear as this depends on the number of claims received.
	The current contractual agreement between DWP and Atos Healthcare does contain performance targets covering a range of features including throughput, claimant service and medical quality. These targets form part of the overall ESA customer journey of 91 days and performance on a monthly basis is measured and monitored.

Work Capability Assessment: Independent Review

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to which (a) benefit delivery centres and (b) Atos Healthcare centres Professor Malcolm Harrington made unannounced visits in 2012.

Chris Grayling: The information requested is as follows:
	(a) Professor Malcolm Harrington has made visits to Benefit Centres at Plymouth on 9 March, Burnley on 27 March and Oldham on 27 March 2012.
	(b) Professor Harrington has made no unannounced visits to Atos Medical Assessment Centres so far during 2012.

Work Capability Assessment: Independent Review

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many full-time equivalent staff in his Department were involved in conducting the Harrington review of the work capability assessment in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; and how many such staff are projected to be involved in (i) 2013 and (ii) 2014.

Chris Grayling: We are committed to continuously improving the work capability assessment (WCA) to ensure that it is as fair and accurate as possible. As part of this, we have a statutory commitment to independently review the WCA annually for the first five years of its operation. Professor Harrington has now carried out two independent reviews of the WCA.
	During his initial two independent reviews, Professor Harrington was supported by the following number of dedicated departmental staff:
	(a) Five during 2010;
	(b) Two during 2011.
	Professor Harrington is currently taking forward the third independent annual review of the WCA and is currently supported by:
	(c) Two staff.
	Until the result of the third independent review is clear, it is not possible to project departmental resource requirements to support further independent reviews.

Work Capability Assessment: Independent Review

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions who will succeed Professor Malcolm Harrington in carrying out the independent review of the work capability assessment.

Chris Grayling: Professor Harrington is not due to deliver his third independent report until November. Therefore, no successor has yet been appointed.

Work Capability Assessment: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has considered exempting people diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome from the work capability assessment.

Chris Grayling: As the WCA is an assessment of someone's functional capability, rather than their condition, it does not list exempted conditions.
	This approach is based on the principle that a health condition or disability should not automatically be regarded as a barrier to work, and differs from previous approaches to assessment.
	The Department recognises that disabilities and health conditions affect different people in different ways, and that it is important to treat people as individuals rather than label them because of their condition.
	For those people whose condition is likely to qualify them for the Support Group, the health care professionals will, where possible, advise using the available paper-based evidence, and the claimant would not be asked to attend a face-to-face assessment.